...US-Israeliforceshitover2000targets
...Iranlaunched500missiles,2000dronessinceSaturday on
Speaker blocks motion National Assembly
Drowned siblings
...autopsyresultsduetoday to be buried on parents’ wedding anniversary Police warn of online extortion scheme on media access to
targeting businesses
Father and daughter killed in Mandela crash
N,March5(Reuters)-U.S.
President Donald Trump claimedtherighttojoinIran indecidingitsnextleaderas the war escalated on Thursday, with U S and Israeli jets hitting areas across the country and Gulf citiescomingunderrenewed bombardment.
In an interview with Reuters,TrumpsaidMojtaba Khamenei, the of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei - a hardliner who has been considered a favourite to succeed his father - was an unlikely choice.
“Wewanttobeinvolved in the process of choosing the person who is going to leadIranintothefuture,”he saidbytelephone.“Wedon’t have to go back every five years and do this again and again Somebody that’s going to be great for the people, great for the country.”
Trump also encouraged Iranian Kurdish forces to go ontheoffensive.“Ithinkit’s wonderful that they want to do that, I’d be all for it,” Trump said. He would not
say whether the United States would provide air cover for any Kurdish offensive The Trump administration has had contactwithIranianKurdish groupssincetheU.S.-Israeli strikesbegan.
Two drone attacks targeted an Iranian opposition camp in Iraqi Kurdistan on Thursday, as well as an oil field operated by an American firm, security sources said. The commentscameastheIsraeli militarywarned‘residentsto evacuate areas including easternTehran,whileIranian media reported blasts were heard in various parts of the capital. An air attack killed 17peopleinaguesthouseon a road northwest of the capital, Iranian state television said. “Today is worse than yesterday They arestrikingnorthernTehran. Wehavenowheretogo.Itis like a war zone. Help us,” saidMohammadreza,36,by phone from Tehran, with a shaky voice as explosions rang out from what Israel described as its latest wave of strikes on Iranian governmenttargets.
With the war now in its sixth day, Iran launched a seriesofattacksonIsrael,the United Arab Emirates and Qatar Fire crews in Bahrain extinguished a blaze at a refinery following a missile strike. We are very much against corruption We’re very much for us, for the people, the working class.
Azerbaijanbecamethelatest country drawn in, as it accusedIranoffiringdrones atitsterritoryandorderedits southern airspace closed for 12 hours. Iran, which has a significant Azeri minority, denied it had targeted its neighbour but the episode underlined how rapidly the war has spread since the surprise U S and Israeli airstrikes that killed KhameneionSaturday
Smoke billows following strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, as seen from Baabda, Lebanon. [Photo/Agencies]
Alongwiththegleaming cities of the Gulf, in easy range of Iranian drones and missiles,CyprusandTurkey have both been targeted, European nations have pledged to deploy ships to the eastern Mediterranean and hostilities have been seen as far afield as the coastalwatersoffSriLanka, whereaU.S.submarinesank an Iranian warship on Tuesday, killing 80 crew
members and drawing Iranianvowsofrevenge.
In Iran, at least ,230 people have ‘been killed, accordingtotheIranianRed Crescent Society, including 175 schoolgirls and staff killed at a primary school in Minabinthecountry’ssouth on the first day of the war Another 77 have been killed inLebanon,itsHealth
Continued on page 19
Ten-year-oldJadon and his eightyear-old sister, Tiana DeCourte, who tragically drowned behind the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) pump station at Bachelor’s Adventure, East Coast Demerara,willbelaidtorest onMarch14,2026,thesame day their parents celebrate theirweddinganniversary
M e a n w h i l e , t h e children’sparents,Jasonand Tesha DeCourte, are awaiting the results of the post-mortem examinations (PME), which are expected to be conducted today, as they continue making preparations for the funeral.
The grieving parents disclosedthisinaninterview with Kaieteur News on Thursday
On Tuesday, the
communitiesofMelanieand Enterprisewereplungedinto shockandmourningafterthe two siblings were found motionlessinanearbytrench behindthepumpstation.The trench, believed to be approximately 10 to 15 feet deep, is located near a reservoir that residents say has long posed a danger, particularly to children who
arefrequentlyinthesaidarea adjacent to the community ground.
Their father recounted the heart-breaking sequence of events that led to the tragedy
According to DeCourte, Tiana had slipped into the trench while attempting to fill a toy water gun. When Jadon noticed his sister fall, he instinctively tried to hold onto her to prevent her from goingunder
However, unable to support both their weights, he too was pulled into the deepwater
Still struggling to accept the loss, the father on Thursday said the reality of the tragedy has not yet fully
sunk in. “Up till now I still calling for Jadon and Tiana because I still can’t come to grips with it. I still can’t accept it. But when I see the bodies and they open up my children tomorrow (Friday), then it going to hit me,” he said. He explained that the family has decided to hold thefuneralonMarch14,the day he and his wife would normally celebrate their wedding anniversary “Our anniversary is the 14th, whichwillbethefuneralday on Saturday We were planning to go out for our anniversary I was planning to surprise her, maybe go to Grand Coastal or the Marriott,” he said. Instead,
the day will now hold a different meaning for the family
“I feel if we bury our children on our anniversary we will get to bond even more I can’t celebrate anythingrightnow Wecan’t do it right now as a family Even if we separate in the future, we will always remember March 14,” the grievingfathersaid.
“I gotta be stronger and better for my kids and my wife. Nothing will be the same without Jadon and Tiana,” Jason added. The government has since offered support to assist the family with funeral arrangements and any other helppossible.
Chairman of the Office fortheVictoryofthePeople (OVP) Gerald Perreira on Thursday accused the Government of Guyana (GoG)ofbowingtopressure from the United Stated of America (USA) in its decision to terminate the agreementwithCubaforthe CubanMedicalBrigade.
In an interview after delivering a letter to PresidentIrfaanAlithatwas signed by over 100 organisations,andpersonsin Guyana, calling for the reinstatementofthemedical brigade, Perreira told the media that the Cubans have been in Guyana for more than 40 years, making tremendous contributions to thehealthcaresystem.“Asa seasoned political activist, I amverymuchawarethatone Marco Rubio came into this country and issued a directive to the President of Guyana to send home the Cuban Medical Brigade and I am not going to call Frank Anthony, the Minister of Health,aliar Idonotbelieve him when he said there was nopressure,”hestated.
The activist explained that he has knowledge of how the U.S. operates and the arrogance is displayed globally, with the threatening of countries and Cuba’s tightened sanctions, which have blockaded the
started right from Desmond Hoyte, right now and today, this is where we are,” he added.
country so that no fuel can enter Itwasalsohighlighted that there is approximately more than, 28,000 Cuban mothers who run the risk of losingtheirbabies,asthereis no electricity “So, what we a
y, an
U S imperialism to dominate the planet. President Trump has taken the Monroe Doctrine toanewlevel,totheDonroe doctrine,whichistheU.S.is not just concerned about their own so-called backyard, right, but we are seeing th
countriesnow,”hesaid.
Calling out the president for the way he has been handling the situation, the activist said that Guyana is
being re-colonised right before our very eyes, and “the President, I’m not sure which is the president. I see him as an overseer, an overseer of this new plantation called Guyana, and, the opposition, by its silence,iscomplicit.”
Perreiraisalsocallingon the opposition parties and their leaders especially Aubrey Norton who studied in Cuba, to add their voices to the fight, cautioning that citizens need to wake up “ThelasttimeIknowwehad a n y s e m b l a n c e o f s o v e r e i g n t y a n d independenceinthiscountry was, and I make no apologies,wasunderthelate visionary leader Forbes Burnham,andwhenhedied, the re-colonisation process
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Thursday issued a public advisory warning members of the business community about an emerging online extortion scheme targetingindividualsandcompanies.
According to the police, persons are receivingemailsfromindividualsorentities claiming to be conducting investigative reporting into alleged drug trafficking networksoperatingwithinGuyana.
The emails often allege that the recipientsarelinkedtonarcoticstrafficking operations and request that they provide statements or responses to the allegations.
Subsequent communications reportedly demand financial contributions or “restitution proposals” in exchange for suspending the publication of the allegedinvestigativefindings.
The GPF reminded that such actionsconstituteoffencesincluding attempted extortion, obtaining moneybyfalsepretence,andcyberrelatedoffences.
“Members of the public are strongly advised not to engage with or make any paymentstopersonsmakingsuchdemands. Anyone who receives similar communicationsisurgedtoreportthematter immediately to the nearest police station or the Criminal Investigation Department and provide copies of the emails or any related correspondence,”policesaid.
GPF said it is currently monitoring the situation and urged the public to remain vigilant.
The letter calling for the reinstatementofthemedical brigadewasalsodeliveredto Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hugh Todd The appeal comesontheheelsofapress release from the United States Embassy in Guyana quotingRubioasexpressing appreciation for Guyana’s
ticip
on in what Washington termed the Cuban regime’s “medical mission forced labour scheme.”
The signatories have brandedthatcharacterisation as baseless and offensive, arguing that successive Guyanese administrations have openly praised and relied upon Cuban medical professionals for decades They point to remarks delivered on December 8, 2002, by then President Bharrat Jagdeo at a summit marking 30 years of diplomaticrelationsbetween CaribbeannationsandCuba. Addressing then Cuban President Fidel Castro and
regional leaders, Jagdeo hailedCubaas“aneighbour, a true friend and a brother,” crediting the island with helping to “catapult forward” Caribbean health systems through a steady inflowofcompetentmedical professionals and generous scholarshipprogrammes.
Those words, the letter writers argue, stand in stark contrasttothegovernment’s current posture They contendthatGuyana’shealth system especially in hinterland and underserved communities has long dependedonCubandoctors, nurses and specialists To abruptly sev
relationship, they say, risks widening already troubling gapsinhealthcaredelivery
Equally concerning to thegroupisthefutureofthe C u b a s c h o l a r s h i p programme, which has en
ed hundreds of Guyanese from modest backgrounds to pursue studiesinmedicineandother criticalfields.Manyofthose graduates now serve in public hospitals and clinics acrossthecountry. President Ali is
scheduled to meet U S President Donald Trump in Miami on March 7 The delegation is urging him to defend Guyana’s sovereign right to pursue independent foreign policy decisions groundedinnationalinterest ratherthanexternalpressure. Theletteralsodenouncesthe tightening fuel embargo imposed by Washington on Cuba, describing it as immoral and destructive According to international reports, fuel shortages have crippled electricity generation, transportation, and essentialservices on the island Hospitals are reportedly struggling to function, ambulances have been sidelined, and medical staff, face severe constraints in delivering care The signatories argue that such measures do not merely target a government but inflict suffering on ordinary citizens They insist that Guyana, as a CARICOM member state with a history ofsolidaritywithCuba,must not align itself with policies t h a t u n d e r m i n e a l
partner.
PrintedandPublishedbyNationalMedia& PublishingCompanyLtd. 24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.
Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456
Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS
Tel:225-8465,225-8491. Fax:225-8473,226-8210
TheUSDepartmentofJusticerefusedtocomment. The White House passed on the invitation to clear the air The issue is whether Venezuela's President Delcy Rodrigues is underthethreatofaUScriminalindictmentbeingprepared. DeputyAttorneyGeneral,ToddBlanche,wasunambiguous ontheissue:“completelyFALSE,from@reuters. Notsure howsuchfakenewsmakesitswaytopublication.” Reuters isnotbudging,butstandingfirmwithitsstory Whoison the right side of truth relative to this development about a draft criminal indictment with President Rodriguez's name on it? Reuters has a well-earned reputation for responsible reporting of breaking news. Breaking news that powerful politiciansprefertobekeptoutofbroadcastchannels. The factthattheUSJusticeDepartmentpreferrednottorespond wasn't the most convincing of postures. And when the White House didn't go into full attack mode, that adds another layer of suspicion of what cloud could be hanging overtheheadofDelcyRodriguez. Itmighthavebeenbetter forDeputyAttorneyGeneralBlanchetoholdhisendofthe wall of silence, for he is known to be one of the ranking officials at Justice who will attack anything that looks menacing,anddefendwhatisindefensible. Weappreciate that it could be detrimental to the progress of any criminal indictment in motion for money laundering and corruption to speak too soon as that would alert those on the radar Having said that, we would also say that where there are whiffs of smoke, fire could be right below the surface. If accurate, how much heat from the US can President Rodriquezabsorb,survive?
According to the Reuters report, work on the draft US criminalindictmenthasbeengoingonfortwomonths,and theVenezuelanpresidenthasbeennotified. Ifthatisso,then theDeputyAttorneyGeneral'sdenialhasnomeaning,since thequarryandherinnercirclehavebeeninformed. Also,we do not believe that the sinews behind this indictment were developed in the last 60 days. Either she was or wasn't involvedinmoneylaunderingandcorruptionatthenational oilcompany,PDVSA,beforeshewasinstalledbytheUSas thesuccessorVenezuelanpresidentfollowingtheovernight removalofNicolasMaduro.
This raises troubling questions about the actions of the US,inthecontextofVenezuelaanditsgovernance. Itisa countrywhosepeoplehassufferedunderthecripplingyoke ofsanctions. Acountrywheretheinstitutionsofdemocracy struggledtogaintraction,wereunabletoregisterafootprint. A country where there were allegations of massive corruptionundertheheavyhandofMaduroandhisgangof aiders and abettors. Smuggling, money laundering, and corruptionwereinseparablyattachedtoMaduro,asalleged bytheUS,rightuptotheWhiteHouse. Acountrywherea sizablesectionofitscitizensdispersedtoescapethepoverty andfearfoistedonthembyaruthlessMaduroandhiswilling henchmen. So, what did the US do in the case of Nicolas MaduroandDelcyRodriguez? Diditknowinglyswapone corrupt leader for another, as alleged? Did the US do so, knowing that it has Rodriguez where it wanted, i.e., a prisoneratitsbeckandcall,especiallyinrelationtothevital oil industry of Venezuela? Was the US in this position (possessed the knowledge of her corruption) when it removed Maduro, but still continued with seating her as president? Whatifthereisthatothersideofthiscorruption, regimechange,andreplacementstory?
MeaningthatPresidentDelcyRodriguezcannotdeliver Venezuela's oil industry lock, stock, and barrel to the US. Either because she is unwilling to be in that totally cooperativemode,orbecausesheispreventedfromdoingso by forces more powerful than her shaky presidency? It is obvious that something is not going according to US plans for Venezuela. Delcy Rodriquez could have grown tired withherroleofcoconspiratorandcollaborator(dirtywords) against her country's interests. Since the removal of Maduro, unrest has stirred inVenezuela. Reuters could be ontosomething,withtheswordofseemingblackmailnow hangingoverDelcyRodriguez'shead.
“Pragmatism or
DearEditor, Vishnu Bisram's defense of Guyana's endorsement of Washington's foreign interventions is not realism it is rationalised submission, cloaked in the languageofpragmatism.His apologia for President Ali's compliance with an increasingly unilateral United States is a textbook exampleofhowdependency is often dressed up as strategic foresight. When he describes deference to Trump as “pragmatic,” he confuses the necessity to navigate power with the uncritical acceptance of coercion.
Bisram's worldview, unbotheredbytheerosionof global norms, implies that small nations have no moral agency—thatGuyana'sonly
viable course is to “support T
s ” T
a
sentiment betrays a deep misunderstanding of the nature of U.S. power The instruments of subjugation are not new; they merely evolvewiththetimes.Today they take the form of tariff
leverage and trade dependency,visarestrictions
m a s q u e r a d i n g a s immigration policy, and extraterritorialsanctionsthat weaponise the global financial system Under these pillars of control, compliance is not rewarded; itismanaged.
aders summoned to Mar-a-Lago under the guise of strategic engagement illustrates this imbalanceperfectly
Forallthepomp,noneof them leave any richer — materially or diplomatically They are fed photographs, not partnerships; proximity, not parity The invitation is not a seat at the table but a test of obedience And Trump, a man who once mused about expanding America'sborderstoinclude “loyal” neighbours, reads such eagerness not as alliance but as vulnerability. Tohim,thewillingareweak, and the meek are expendable.
Bisram romanticises this transactional posture as if it wereshrewdstatecraft,butit is in fact dependency by design He invokes the Monroe Doctrine, as if our region were bound to live permanently under its shadow Yet Guyana's
Guyana & Irfaan
historytellsanotherstory— one of struggle against precisely this kind of paternalistic dominance. To misinterpret submission as survival is to desecrate that legacy Ourforebearsdidnot resistcolonialauthorityonly for their descendants to celebrate new forms of tutelage camouflaged in diplomaticniceties.
Truepragmatismisnotto echo Washington's every wordbuttodefendGuyana's interests with discernment, building alliances across multiple poles of global power We must stop mistaking proximity to power for possession of it. The U.S. does not bestow equality;itnegotiatesutility And when that utility expires, so does its
(Continuedonpage5)
for close ties with USA
DearEditor,
President Irfaan Ali and TT PM Kamla Persad Bissessar (and by extension their nations) have been rewarded with invites to Americas ShieldSummitwithPresidentTrumpin MiamionMarch7fortheirsupporton Washingtonregionalforeignpolicy;the duo are the only CARICOM leaders invited to the summit that will feature eightotherLatinleadersplusTrump.
They also had private one on one meeting with Secretary Rubio. It is a feather in the cap for both leaders and elevatestheimportanceofbothnations in the region. Their invitation is a win for TT and Guyana as it could strengthen security and cooperation with U.S. resulting in greater political stability and consolidation of our democracy Irfaanhaslearnedfromthe lessons of the cold war during which Guyanese endured 26 years of authoritarian rule for criticising USA andoftheIndependenceDayattackon the American Ambassador in 2012 resultinginthe2015electionoutcome. When this writer championed closer ties with USA, he was ridiculed and condemned for having a colonial mindset.WithoutclosertieswithUSA, Guyanawillfinditselfintrouble.Irfaan issmarttotieupwithTrump.
The invitation to the duo was extended by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on behalf of Trump in private separate meeting with each on the sidelineofthe50thCARICOMsummit in Basseterre, St. Kitts last week. The leaders of these nations have been invited as guests of President Trump because of diplomatic and foreign policyalignmentwithWashington.The event will be held at one of the President'shotels,Doral.
Americas Shield is an initiative of PresidentTrump.Itissocalledbecause itseekstoshieldnationsfromavariety
of problems devastating to their economies and populations. It is a strategic program designed to address pressing threats (tied to drugs and nationalsecurity)acrossLatinAmerica and the Caribbean The summit concentrates on regional security, with the goal of stopping the flow of drugs and fostering trade with USAthat will leadtoprosperity
One strategy behind the Americas Shield Summit is to get leaders to supportAmericanplantodismantleand eliminatetransnationaldrugtrafficking groups operating throughout Latin AmericaandtheCaribbean.
Also, US is concerned about the growing footprint of China in the region.So,anothergoalofthesummitis to actively counteract and limit the expanding economic and political influence of China across the region. Trump is aggressively reinforcing the historic Monroe Doctrine to keep out outside powers like China and Russia, asserting a more proactive U.S. role in regional stability, using force to promote American dominance preeminence in the region, dubbing it the DunroeDoctrine.
Previous American Presidents like Eisenhower,Kennedy,Reagan,etc.had specific programs for LA and Caribbean to address issues impacting on American geo-security America seeksclosertiesandalliances.
The invitation to and participation of President Irfaan and PM Kamla signals their deepening engagement withWashington and sends a powerful statement to the rest of the region – if you work with USA against transnational crime and on regional security, you will be rewarded. Those two nations were also rewarded on immigration matters. It is recalled that GuyanaandTrinidadandTobagowere notsanctionedbyWashingtonlastyear
among CARICOM; migrant visas of nationals of these two countries have notbeensuspendedunlikeforthemost ofthe restoftheregion.Theyhavealso been rewarded with soft loans for nationaldevelopment.
ForGuyanaandT&T,participation inthissummitmarksadefinitivestepin cementing their ties with Washington and playing a meaningful role in the U.S-led security bloc. PM Kamla and President Irfaan have sent a clear message of unwavering allegiance to andcooperationwithUSA.
At Basseterre, PM Kamla told reporters the invitation to T&T and of her presence at the Miami summit will be“forthebenefitofthepeopleofT&T on security, trade, prosperity and of safety”.
President Irfaan said he looks forward for the meeting. He told reporters: “This is a meeting dealing with security matters, it's dealing with some of the challenges in the region, andtoseehowwecancoordinatebetter inrelationtothosechallenges.”
The presence of Irfaan and Kamla signals their countries' commitment to the security of the region and of their own nations, ensuring a stable and predictable partnership with the U.S. Among other invitees are Presidents Javier Milei of Argentina, Daniel NoboaofEcuador,NayibBukeleofEl Salvador, Santiago Peña of Paraguay, José Raúl Mulino of Panama, Rodrigo Paz of Bolivia, Nasry Asfura of Honduras, Rodrigo Chaves of Costa Rica and his successor President-elect Laura Fernández, among others. As a commentator put it, it is a coalition of ideologically aligned nations, allies of the U.S. Once we remain tied to the U.S.,wewillbenefit.
Yoursfaithfully Dr.VishnuBisram
DearEditor,
On the last day of February, 2026, the United States and Israel launched a massive surprise attack on Iran. Hundreds of airplanes
from both countries swarmedtheskiesandbegan an extensive bombing campaign. In the first hours theAyatollah was murdered together with several of his
family members and important persons in its military and government ThusbeganIran'swarforits veryexistence.
Iran began its retaliation almost immediately It sent hundredsofrocketstowards Israel and on the military bases of the United States that are in almost all the countriesintheMiddleEast region.
Hundredsofciviliansare beingkilledintheexchange. The civilians in Iran are experiencingtheworst.This is because Israel is deliberating targeting residentialareasandcivilian social infrastructure such as hospitalsandschools.Some one hundred and seventyfivelittlegirlshaveperished as their school, which were targeted at the beginning of thetreacherousattack.
The Iranians are concentrating on military targets in Israel and US militarybasesincountriesof the region. Those countries havebeenusedbytheUSto attack Iran, and that is why they are regarded as legitimatetargets.
The attack on the civiliansisamodusoperandi of Israel for some time. We have seen this in every war that they have prosecuted. We have only just experienced the inhumane destruction of Gaza where almost all the residential buildingsweredestroyed,so too were hospitals, schools, etc We saw it as they constantly bomb Lebanon and earlier Syria The objective is to punish the populationtotrytoturnthem againsttheirgovernments.
This is classical state terrorism.
The questions being frequently asked are how and why are we in this very dangerous situation that can spread beyond the Middle East? What are the main causes?
After all we know that Iran has never really threatenedtheUnitedStates. It is true that in the early period after the 1979 revolution they were shouting “death to America!” because the US was the main prop of the
hated Shaw regime which ruled Iran since the US/ British intervention that removed the democratically elected Mosaddeq Government in 1953
However, that was merely sloganeering since they reallyneverhadthecapacity tobeconsideredasathreatto theUSA.
Indeed,nocountryinthe worldwouldwantaconflict withtheUnitedStates.After all, it has by far the most powerful army in the whole world. Its military budget is bigger than the next ten to fifteen countries combined.
President Trump has announced that in a year's time the US military budget will reach the tropospheric figure of one and a half trillion dollars. It is just too dangerous to want to pick a fight with such a military power Theanswerliesinthe strategic aims of Israel and theUnitedStates.
Israeldoesnotregardits borders as fixed It is working on the concept of “living borders.” They have been constantly trying to expand their landmass.That is why they are conducting genocide in the Gaza, the West Bank and in East Jerusalem. They are daily seizingthePalestinianlands.
They have occupied the GolanHeightsinSyriasince 1967 and have recently seized even more with the overthrow of the Asaad regime. They have seized parts of Lebanon, and their aimistotakeoverthewhole country They even have partsofEgypt.
They have their eyes on JordanandSaudiArabiaand the other countries in the MiddleEast.
Recall recently the courageous journalist Tucker Carlson interviewed theUSAmbassadortoIsrael, Mr Mike Huckabee, in whichhesaidthathedidnot mind if Israel takes the whole Middle East. The justificationisthatthelands werepromisedbyGod.
This shows how
dangerous it is to have religiousfanaticsinpower
Israelwasabletoexpand and is expanding through wars. The group in power now in that country led by BenjaminNetanyahuhasno interest in peace.They want forever wars. That is why every time that negotiations reach the stage of having agreements the Netanyahu cliquesabotageit.
Recall that this war began when the negotiators feltthattheywereveryclose toanagreementonFebruary 27. A meeting was set to continuetheconversationon March 2 to facilitate the accord. Lo and behold on February 28 Israel and the United States attacked Iran and killed the Ayatollah, manyofhisfamilymembers and senior government and militaryofficials.
Iran was taken by surprise because they thought that they were still negotiating.Itwasdeception tolulltheleadersintoafalse sense of security then to kill them.
This happened last year in June as well, when Iran was in negotiations with the US and again close to an agreement when it was attackedbyIsreal.
Netanyahuisnostranger to this tactic. He has used it many times in his bloodstained career It is apposite to recall that one of Israel's greatest Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was close to an agreement with Yassar Arafat to establish a Palestinian state when he wasassassinated.Guesswho ledtheattackagainsthim?
It was Benjami Netanyahu.Accordingtothe widow of Prime Minister Rabin, Ms. Leah Rabin, it was Netanyahu who created the atmosphere for the murder of her husband in 1995 This is how she described him “He is all political manipulation. He doesn't really believe in anything.Idon'tthinkhehad any convictions other than staying in power.” She went
ontoadd,“Betweenwhathe says and the truth, and the reality, there are the oceans ” (January 16th, 1998).
Over the decades Israel hasmadealotofgainsinits expansionist scheme. It was able to achieve this principally because of its alliance with the United States. Now the Arab states that surround Israel are all vassals of the United States. They find themselves objectivelysupportingIsrael in many of its deadly schemes because of pressuresfromUSandIsrael it-self.
The only country in the regionthatisnotgoingalong withtheUS/Israelallianceis Iran. It has refused to bow down to the mighty US and Israel. It is the only country in the region that is strong enough to stop Israel expansionism. Iran has also supported forces in various countries in the region that resisttheIsraelidomination. It has stood staunchly in support of the Palestinian demand for its own state in thelandsofitsancestors.
Therefore, Iran is targetedfordestruction.
Israelcannotaccomplish that task alone.Therefore,it needs to get the United Statesinvolvedbyhookand/ orcrook.Itwasabletodoso inavarietyofways.
A big part of its success in enmeshing the US in its plans is the use of the American Israel Affairs Committee (AIPAC). This organisation finances the campaignofmembersofthe USCongressofbothparties. AnyCongresspersonthatis not100%insupportofIsrael is campaigned against. Its influence is not confined to the Congress but to state Congresses, Senates and on theelectionsofthePresident and those making up the Executive.
T h e T r u m p administration seem to have learnt a lot from Israel in relation to negotiations. It (Continuedonpage6)
“Pragmatism or Punishment: Bisram's...
Frompage4 indulgence CARICOM should be confronting this climate collectively, crafting a regional doctrine that protects small states from transactional bullying. Instead, the region has allowed itself to be fragmented — picked off one by one with invitations and inducements, often trading long-termautonomyforshort-termcomfort.
It is a tragic irony that Bisram, himself a product of colonial displacement, has chosen to find security not in self-assertion butinservitude.
Trump's foreign policy is not a rupture
sanctity of any religious festival must be protected
DearEditor,
For generations, since the arrival of the first East Indians to our shores, Phagwah has been observed as a sacred and significant Hindu festival in Guyana. It is heartening to witness its evolution into a national event, embraced by Guyanese from all walks of life This cross-cultural participation is a beautiful testament to our national unityandmutualrespect.
However,thisveryunity isnowunderthreat,notfrom division, but from desecration.
I am increasingly disheartened and deeply concernedbytheconductof a growing number of celebrants whose behaviour can only be described as sacrilegious.
Whatwasonceasolemn occasion of prayer, reflection, and community, has for many, been overtaken by lewdness and chaos. The spiritual essence of Phagwah is being drownedoutbywildparties, r a m p a n t a l c o h o l consumption, and the blaring of "juverts" (sound systems), transforming a holy day into an excuse for publicindecency Thisisnot celebration;itisaviolation.
This degradation cannot continue unchecked. The sanctity of any religious festival must be protected, notjustforitsadherents,but for the integrity of our multicultural society It is thereforetimefortherelevant authorities including the police, central and local government bodies, and community leaders to step forward and put firm measuresinplace Weneeda concerted effort to guarantee thesacrednessofthisfestival, ensuring that public spaces are not used in ways that disrespect the Hindu faith and offend public decency.I speaknotasaHindu,butasa concerned Guyanese citizen who values the rich tapestry of our nation's traditions. I appeal to every member of the public, especially those who partake in the festivities, to remember the true meaning of this occasion. Let us not allow Phagwahtobeanexcusefor chaos and indecency Instead, let us honour its sacredrootsandcelebratein a manner that upholds the dignityandrespectthatthis, and every, religious festival deserves.
Sincerely,
LelonSaul LtCol(Ret'd)
with American tradition, but its most unvarnished expression — an imperial instinct stripped of pretense. To champion his methods as pragmatic is to mistake the predator'spatienceforgenerosity
Guyana deserves a foreign policy that matchesitsdignity,notonethattradesitfor theillusionoffavor
If Bisram's brand of pragmatism is the priceofprotection,thenoursovereigntyhas already been sold — not to survive, but to serve.
Yoursfaithfully, HemduttKumar
Three men from Region One (Barima-Waini) were on Wednesday charged with driving undertheinfluenceofalcoholwhen they appeared at the Mabaruma Magistrates' Court.Ricardo Boyer, Clive Henry, and Murphy Samuels wereallchargedwithexceedingthe prescribed alcohol limit while behind the wheel, under Section 39A (1) of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act. They appeared beforeMagistrateCliveNursewho readthechargetothem.Boyer,who
faced two counts of driving while intoxicated, pleaded guilty to both. For the first offence, he was fined $200,000 - or three-months' imprisonment in default while he wasfined$300,000forfourmonths' imprisonment for the second charge.Further,Boyer'slicencewas suspended for six months Meanwhile, Henry and Samuels pleaded guilty to the offence and werebothfined$200,000-,orthreemonths' imprisonment in default of payment.
A 20-year-old woman from Third Avenue, Bartica, was left nursing injuries after she was assaulted at Bartica's Golden BeachonMondaynight.
TheGuyanaPoliceForceinastatement on Thursday identified the woman as Nolecia Edmonds.According to police, the woman was reportedly involved in a confrontation with a 32-year-old welder from the Five Miles Housing Scheme, Bartica.Preliminaryinvestigationsrevealed that at around 20:25h an argument ensued
between the duo. “It is alleged that the two encountered each other at Bartica Golden Beach, where an argument ensued, during which the suspect reportedly assaulted the victim,causinginjuries,”policesaid.
ThevictimwaslatertakentotheBartica Regional Hospital, where she was treated andsenthome.
The matter was reported to police, and thesuspectwassubsequentlycontactedand arrested. Investigationsareon-going.
Gun found in vehicle now lodged at the Ruimveldt Police Station
Five men, including a 17-year-old, are in police custody after a firearm and ammunition were discovered in a vehicle during a routine operation in Agricola on Tuesdayevening.
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Thursdaydetailedthataround17:34hrs,ranks on mobile patrol, acting on information received, intercepted a white Toyota Axio withfivemaleoccupants.
“Asearchofthemotorcarwasconducted andunderthefrontpassengerseatoneRuger 9mm pistol with a magazine containing four (4) live rounds of 9mm ammunition was discovered,”policesaid.
Thesuspectshavebeenidentifiedasa17year-oldfrom'B'Field,Sophia;a21-year-old taxidriver,alsofrom'B'Field;a20-year-old labourer from Kitty; a 34-year-old labourer from 'B' Field, Sophia; and a 23-year-old constructionworkerfromCummingsPark. They were arrested and taken to the Ruimveldt Police Station, where the firearm andammunitionwerelodgedpendingfurther investigation.
Police have confirmed that none of the menhaveafirearmlicense.
The five suspects remain in custody as authorities continue their probe into the sourceandintentbehindtheweapon.
Frompage5
was the same method of deception and blackmail in International Relations. The Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in his Davos address in January pointed out that similar tactics are used in international economic relations. He said “...great powers have begun using economic integration as weapons, tariffs as leverage, financial infrastructure as coercion, s u p p l y c h a i n s a s vulnerabilities to be exploited...”
That is why the US disregard all human rights consideration and continues to arm Israel to the teeth as well as supporting its collapsing economy despite the atrocities it has and continues to commit University students and other who speak out against Israel apartheid and even fascist activities are persecutedintheUS.TheUS governmentissacrificingall that it once stood for, free speech,humanrights,etcfor Israel.
Another method appears tobeblackmail.Thescandal of the Epstein files is beginningtoshowthatthere is an espionage side of this affair Initial thinking is that Epstein worked for Mossad, the Intelligence arm of Isreal's security forces. He h a s a c c u m u l a t e d compromising materials on many very influential persons and use them in the interestofIsreal.
The United States, while going along with Israel has its own interests. The US wantstomaintainitsposition asthenumberoneeconomic and military power in the world. It has become very afraidoftheriseofChinaas
aneconomicgiant.Thisfear was heightened since the economic crises of 2008 when China emerged as the main engine powering the globaleconomy
It is not afraid of China attacking them now They know that China has no desire for war On the contrary, China sees its economic progress as directly linked to World Peace. What the US strategists fear is that in the future, China's economic powerwillturnintomilitary power,thatcanchallengethe US.
That is why they have adopted a policy to put a break on China's growth. Theyareusingtheirpowerto press countries to stop trading with China and where that is not immediately possible to curtailitasmuchaspossible.
They have unleashed a massive propaganda campaign against China, trying to paint the People's Republic of China (PRC) as a predatory state that wants todominatetheworld.
That was one of the reasons that they attacked Venezuela.
At the time of the kidnapping of that country's president, the oil industry, with thetechnicalassistance of China was being revived. That had to be stopped to prevent China from having accesstoVenezuela'soil.
ThewaragainstIranwill also disrupt the economic relationsbetweenChinaand Iran. China gets a large part of its energy requirement fromIran.
It is this unfounded fear thathasinfluenceditspolicy to Russia as well. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union the US saw it as a
greatopportunitytoneverto allowRussiatoriseagainas a military superpower Therefore, it broke its promise not to move NATO an inch beyond Germany, shouldRussiaagreetoallow the reunification of Germany
They moved NATO thousands of miles right on towards Russia and used Ukrainetofightaproxywar against Russia. Recall in 2022 how gleefully PresidentBidenwaswhenhe boasted that they would make Russian ruble into rubble.
Things have not worked outastheyexpected.
The fact is that neither China nor Russia wants to harbour any hostility towards the US. They don't want a fight with the US. Indeed, no country in the worldwanttoclashwiththe US Its military is very powerful and only a fool wouldwantafightwithit.It is clear that no country is threateningtheUS.
China's approach to internationalrelationsisthat themoreothercountriesthat can become prosperous, the better it is for the PRC because it will open greater possibilitiesfortrade.Thatis the philosophy behind its very bold and ambitious “BeltandRoadInitiative.”
If the US can rid itself fromthe“fear”ofChinathat would create a favourable atmosphere for cooperation and would bring prosperity tothewholeworld. What the world needs nowismorecooperation,not confrontation. This war on Iran must be brought to an endassoonaspossible.
TheUnitedStateshasthe main responsibility to stop thecarnage,afterallitisthe US and Israel that are the aggressors. I urge them to stop the aggression now and returntodiplomacy Regards
Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir has disallowedamotionsubmittedbyA Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament (MP)SherodDuncanthatsoughtto deal with the media’s access to proceedingsinHouse.
Duncan, in a statement on Thursday said he received two separate correspondences from the Office of the Speaker addressing matters he raised through the parliamentaryprocess
According to the MP, the secondletterinformedhimthathis motion related to media access to parliamentary proceedings had beenrejected.
“The second letter informs me thatmymotiononmediaaccessto the proceedings of the National
Assembly has been disallowed by theSpeakeronthegroundsthatthe “Whereas” clauses allegedly contain inaccuracies and biases,” theMPDuncannoted.
However, he stressed that the correspondence did not specify what those alleged inaccuracies werenorprovideanopportunityfor revisions that might allow the motiontoproceed.
“Customary in many cases, for revisions or clarifications that couldallowthemotiontoproceed. In practice, there is usually engagementwiththeClerk’sOffice to refine motions where necessary so that they conform to the Standing Orders That process appearsnottohaveoccurredinthis instance,”theMPstated.
During the 2026 budget, Nadir
decided to revive COVID-era restrictionstolimitmediaaccessto thebudgetdebates.
Reporters, who arrived at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre to cover the opening of the 2026 Budget Debates, were informed that only five journalists would be allowed inside the parliamentary Domeatanygiventime.Themove had sparked widespread backlash fromtheGuyanaPressAssociation and senior journalists, with growing calls for the Speaker to immediately lift the controversial measures.
Speaker Nadir in response to the opposition’s dissatisfaction with his decision informed that his decision can be challenged via a motion.
In keeping with the Speaker’s statement, Duncan submitted a motiontotheHousecallingforthe restoration of full, transparent, and non-discriminatorymediaaccessto parliamentaryproceedings.
Themotiontitled“mediaaccess to the proceedings of the National Assembly”detailsthattheNational Assembly is the ‘People’s House’ and its proceedings must be conducted in a manner that guaranteesopenness,transparency, accountability and public confidence.
‘Child protection system in crisis’ - Broomes
— alleges delays in rape cases, mishandling of child welfare matters
Leader of the Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP) and activist Simona Broomes on Thursday picketed the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, callingfortheresignationoftheministereven as she claims the child proetection system hereisincrisis.
Broomes a former government minister toldreportersonthepicketlinethatitisasad time for children of this country She said children are being raped and abused and evidence against the perpetrators do not surface. “So when you have a child being raped,whenwehaveover300casesgoingto thecourt,andonlythreeoutofthatyougeta conviction, what is that. When we have a three-year-old baby being raped and up to now,waitingforadatefromtheHighCourt. What are we saying here in Guyana?” the politician questioned. She stressed that children are suffering and dying on a daily basis, and in some cases parents may not come forward because the system is failing them.
She then called for the resignation of
Human Services Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud. “Well, I’m saying that Vindhya shouldgohome,becausewhatwe’relooking at in this country… This is not the first case thatIknowabout,justafewweeksago,two social workers went to the Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling, snatched two females and a male. People in the crowd were screaming and yelling because it was not so long after the AdrianaYoungematter,”shelamented.
Turning her attention to the case where a schoolgirlwasdraggedthroughtheStabroek bus park by welfare officers, Broomes said suchbehaviourwasoutoftheordinary.“Ifa parent was dragging a child there, the police would have done charge them and Human Serviceswouldhaveruntothecourtandputa big statement. I noticed some chambers of some women, something put out something. Where are these people when women are being murdered and battered? Where are these people when our children are being raped?Wherearethey?”sheasked.
ThetwoofficersattachedtotheChild
Continued on page 11
Thereissomething u n i q u e l y Guyaneseabouta nationalcrisisthatinspires a great many letters to the editor, moaning and groaning, regrets, an impressive number of Facebook posts, and absolutelynocheques.
The impending closure of Stabroek News has produced precisely that
p h e n o m e n o n T h e newspaper is in its final days, which in Guyana
means everyone has suddenly become both a media expert and an expert in saving companies from closure Everywhere you turn someone is announcing that the newspaper must be saved. It is described as a national treasure, a pillar of democracy, a guardian of freedom, a lighthouse of
j o u r n a l i s m , a n d
occasionally as a particularly emotional commentator put it last week the “last moral compassintheCaribbean.”
Now, when you hear language like that, you would imagine that people would immediately start writing large cheques
Perhaps there would be emergency meetings with bankers.
Maybe a consortium of patriotic investors would appear Instead, what we have is something much
more Guyanese: a symposium of concern
People are not rescuing the
newspaper They are discussing the possibility of possibly thinking about
maybe rescuing the newspaper
One gentleman wrote a very stirring piece explaining that the nation must“cometogethertosave independent journalism ” He did not say how But the essay had tremendous punctuation, which I think countsforsomething.
A n o t h e r p e r s o n suggested a public share offering, a subscription model, a cooperative ownership structure, a digital transformation, a philanthropic trust, and possibly crowdfunding
Reading the proposal was thrilling.
It was like watching a mandesignaspaceshipona napkin The only thing missingwasarocket.Butthe pattern is familiar Guyana has always been a country where the imagination is extremely well funded, while the treasury is somewhatlesscooperative.
One is reminded of that famous protest many years ago over the siting of the 1823 monument. Passions ranhigh.
There were speeches, petitions, and declarations that the monument must instead be placed on the Parade Ground where, according to the protestors, history would finally feel properly appreciated. It was argued that the government at the time cannot decide where such a monument should be located. It was said that funds would be raised tobuildamonument onParadeGround.
Andsothenationwaited. And waited. And waited. Apparently, the funds were being raised in a very discreet manner because the money never actually appeared. It was like one of those invisible friends childrenclaimtohave.
E v e n t u a l l y t h e
APNU+AFC government came into office and after many appeals constructed a monument.
I t w a s m o d e s t
Extremelymodest.Infact,if modesty were a competitive sport, that monument would wintheOlympicgoldmedal. But at least it existed Ironically, the same
APNU+AFC government still recognised the original monument which triggered thedemandsforthenewone. Which brings us back to thepresentcrisis.
The calls to save
StabroekNewshavereached such a level of enthusiasm that one almost expects a rescue operation to be underway somewhere Perhaps in a secret room in Georgetownthereisagroup of wealthy patriots quietly assembling the millions needed to keep the presses running.
Butifthatmeetingexists it is being held with extraordinary secrecy becausenoonehasseenany evidence of it. What we do haveareopinions.Everyone hasanopinion.
Somesaythenewspaper mustgodigital.Otherswarn that digital journalism is a financial abyss A few suggest a foundation model
Dem boys seh road ain't race track. But some drivers behaving like dem in Grand Prix,pressingacceleratorlikeiflifeischeap. Everybody know speeding is one of de biggestcausesofaccident.Adriversupposed to be careful and drive with sense. But dem boys seh it become even more important when you got your own family sitting in de vehicle.
When you carrying strangers you got a responsibility But when you carrying your mother,yourchild,yourwife,yourbrotheror sister—thenthatresponsibilityevenheavier
Dem people trust you with dem life. When youbehinddesteeringwheel,yousupposed toprotectdem,notputdemindanger
Yeteverydaydemboysseepeopleflying down de road like if police chasing dem. Dem cutting corners, overtaking reckless, andpressinggaslikeifdefasterdemreachis thebetteritis.Butdemboyssehspeedain't savingtime.Itjustincreasingrisk.
Yesterday morning tragedy strike again. In de wee hours, when road quiet and there was absolutely no need to rush, one car end up turning turtle. Just like that. Two people
like the Guardian. Someone else mentioned blockchain, whichisusuallywhatpeople say when they have run out of ideas but still wish to appear technologically literate.
And through all of this discussion, the calendar continues its quiet march. The newspaper is closing in justoveraweek.Butthishas n o t s l o w e d t h e brainstorming. In fact, the closer the deadline comes, the more imaginative the ideas become By next Tuesday someone will probably propose relocating the entire operation to the moon where overhead costs
arelowerandthereadership istheoreticallylimitless.
But ideas are not newspapers Newspapers requiremoney Salariesmust bepaid.
Printing presses must operate Journalists who, despite popular belief, cannotliveentirelyonmoral satisfaction must receive something resembling a paycheck.Andthatiswhere the conversation tends to become noticeably quieter Saving a newspaper is not a philosophical exercise. It is anaccountingproblem.
Which is why the great national campaign to save Stabroek News has so far
produced the one thing that newspapers cannot print: good intentions. It turns out that you cannot run a newspaper on sentiment You can only run it on money. And sentiment, unfortunately,ismucheasier toproduce.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
Frompage7 determined that there was an inordinate delayinthattheApplicantswaiteduntilone year to the day after their licence was revoked to file their FDA. “This Court considers that this period constitutes undue delay, compounded by the fact that the Applicants did not see it to offer any
explanationastowhyittookthemthislong to seek judicial review of the Respondent’s decision to revoke their licence,” the Court notedinitsdecision.
As such, it dismissed the Mohamed’s applicationandawardedcosttotheBOGin the sum of $250,000.00 to be paid on or beforethe10thApril2026.
lose dem life.Afamily now mourning.And dem boys sure that if you rewind de clock, somebodywouldgiveanythingtotakeback thatmomentofspeed.
Dem boys seh one second of impatience could cost a lifetime of grief. When vehicle moving fast, all it take is a little loss of control, a patch of sand, a sudden swerve—and everything done. Metal twist, glassshatter,sirensstartwail,andpeopleleft cryingbyderoadside.
What make it worse is when the victims are the very people who trust the driver most—the loved ones sitting quietly in the car Dem boys seh if you love your family, drivelikeyoulovedem.
Leavehomeearlier.Easeoffthegas.Let theimpatientonespass.Nothingwrongwith reachinglate.Butitisatragedywhenpeople neverreachatall.
Dem boys seh every driver got a simple choice: slow down and reach safe, or speed upandgamblewithlife.
And when your family in the car, that gambleshouldneverevencrossyourmind.
Talkhalf.Leffhalf.
Iranianswerebracingfor years for an attack from Israel The open involvement of the U S before, and last week, may havebeensurprising,butnot totally unexpected, to the Iranians. If the streams of fiery rhetoric gave any clue, it was that violent conflict wasbrewing. Itwasjustleft to when that would unfold, andwhichcountrywouldgo on the offensive first. Now, allofthatislastweek’snews. The region from which the great prophets, Mohamed and Christ, came is now embroiledinflamingarcsof crisscrossing missiles detonating in several countries. Iran has been staggered, seemingly caught flatfooted, but it wasn’t unready Despite early heavylosses,theIraniansare readyforbattle. Theyhadto
be, considering how the walls kept closing in, and undersiegetheyhavebeen. Did President Trump first overreacted, then overreached? Did he become too close to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, and dived into dangerous territory because of the insistent overtures of his closeIsraelially? IstheU.S. Congress too much of a willing aider and abettor relative to developments in Iran? The Republican Congresshasthepresident’s back. But there is the U.S. Constitutional requirement that places the mandate of declaringwarinthehandsof Congress for clearance
RegardlessofhowtheWhite House describes the action taken against Iran (‘massive combat operations’ stand as one),whathastakenplaceis
warbyanothername. Ifthat is not war, then what is? There is a present-day precedent. Russia, largely underthethumbofone-man rule, is now trapped in what started out under Vladimir Putin as “special military operations”againstUkraine, but has turned out to be a deep, inescapable hole carved out. Grim reality pointstowherebothsidesin the contest are stuck. Just about everyone is now calling the RussianUkrainianforwhatitis.War War in Iran, and not according to the White Housetimetable. Warthatis not the lighting fast ‘shock and awe’ unleashed against Iraq in Kuwait. War that reminds of the swamp in which the U.S. got bogged down in Southeast Asia in the 1960s and 70s, and for
whichsuchapriceinhuman and other treasure was paid. Some wars are easy (like Desert Storm). Some never get off the ground, with neighbouring Venezuela standing as an exhibit. In Iran, the mold appears different, but the days are young. In noting the wide sweep of Iranian attacks, I remind everyone of that peculiar Iranian (Persian) complex that’s related to martyrdom. In targeting surrounding countries, I am weighing whether the idea behind that action is akin to this:ifIranhastogodown,it is not going down alone. It willdragothersintoonehell of an unholy mess. Since Iranian blood is lusted after, then it’s better that more of thebloodofenemiesbeshed to make their enterprise costly
Atpresent,theconflictis fluid, with casualties minimalonthesidewiththe
elementofsurprise,and much greater advantage in military assets. How much that will matter remains to be seen. I doubt thattherecouldbeareturnto the standards of earlierreferred-to Vietnam war
Where losses were understated,buttheenemy’s maximised. It’s a different world, and a different war, thistime.
It was American Confederate General and hero, Robert E. Lee, who said it ‘is well that war is so terrible,otherwiseweshould growtoofondofit.’ There’s that odor of fondness in the air Though the American people have been told to prepareforlossoflife,there are already signs of discomfort, if not outright disagreement, with another engagement that resembles war and is war There were promised the opposite, and now with war fevers and
war’s results undeniable PresidentTrump’s own base doesn’tlikewherehehasput them, where they find themselves, and where rage istheweaponlefttothem.
Finally,itisobviousthat selective rage is now a defining feature of the PPP Govt. Iranischastisedforan “unprovoked attack” on its regional neighbours, though indications are that it was first attacked. Recall: the friend of my enemy is my enemy Note also how Guyana has a new (verbal) robe, those fineries of proud identification with that region, for each different occasion.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
Leon Bishop, also known as “Osmon Ali,”themanwhoattackedasecurityguardat aGoedFortuin,WestBankDemerara(WBD) inJune2020,onWednesdaypleadedguiltyto attemptedmurder
Bishop appeared before Acting Chief JusticeNavindraSinghattheDemeraraHigh Court,wherehepleadedguiltytotheoffence of attempt to commit murder, contrary to Section 103(c) of the Criminal Law (Offences)Act,Chapter8:01.
ThechargeallegesthatonJune17,2020, Bishop attempted to kill Winston Small at a supermarket in Goed Fortuin village. The court heard that Bishop attacked and wounded the guard with a cutlass during the incident.
According to details presented to the court, Bishop entered the supermarket behaving suspiciously, which prompted Small to approach him During the interaction,Bishopreportedlyclaimedthata man armed with a gun was chasing him, but nosuchpersonwasseeninthearea.
He then began knocking items from the supermarket shelves and attempted to exit
through a side door Small intervened and tried to restrain him, but Bishop ran towards therearofthebuilding.
Moments later, Bishop returned armed with an axe. Small armed himself with a hatchet in response Bishop reportedly charged towards the guard with the axe, causingSmalltodropthehatchetandattempt tograbholdoftheweapon.
Bishop subsequently discarded the axe, picked up a 22-inch cutlass and began choppingthesecurityofficer
Small sustained multiple injuries to his righthand,leftcalf,leftcheek,head,forehead and left upper arm before losing consciousness When he later regained consciousness, Bishop had already fled the scene.
TheinjuredguardwasfirsttakentoWest Demerara Regional Hospital and later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where he remained hospitalisedforabouttwoweeks.
A medical report later detailed the severity of the injuries, which included deep facial lacerations, the complete severing of the third finger on the right hand, partial severing of two other fingers, and multipledeepwoundsinvolvingboneand tendon Doctors concluded that the injuries were life-threatening and would likely result in permanent disability and disfigurement.
PolicelatermadecontactwithBishop in the vicinity of Versailles and Goed Fortuin After being cautioned, he reportedly told investigators that he had armed himself with a cutlass to defend himselfafterbeingattacked.
The State’s case was presented by prosecutors Christopher Belfield and GenevaWills.The matter was adjourned toMarch31,2026,forsentencing.
Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond and some of the prison officers who were promoted.
As part of efforts to
strengthen leadership
and operational oversight within the country’s correctional system, 101 officers within the Guyana Prison Service (GPS)wereonThursdaypromoted.
In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs said the promotions span supervisory, administrative and technical levels and are aimed at expanding command capacity, improving middle-management oversight and supporting security and rehabilitation reforms across prisonfacilities.
The promotion includes five Superintendents of Prisons, 13 Assistant Superintendents of
Prisons, two Cadet Officers (Internal) on probation, 17 Chief PrisonOfficers,28PrincipalPrison Officers II, 23 Principal Prison Officers I, 12 Prison Trade InstructorsandoneCoxswain.
Among those elevated to SuperintendentofPrisonsareTessa Mc Garell, Roddy Denhert, Joylyn Scott, Steve Baker, andAbeide De Cunha.
The promotions to Assistant Superintendent of Prisons include Rayon Emanuel, Colin Thorne, Jennifer James, Desmond Darlington, Glexroy Thomas, Antonya Charles, Carlos Matthews, Royston Robinson, StuartLewis,HubertTrim,Medina
Hopkinson,DazleyGrandison,and JustinEastman.
The MOH described the exercise as “the most comprehensive advancement exerciseinrecentyears,reinforcing Government’s commitment to strengthening correctional leadership and institutional stability.”
According to the ministry, the promotions form part of broader efforts under the administration of President Irfaan Ali to modernise the prison system by investing in human resources alongside ongoinginfrastructureupgrades.
The ministry said that after thorough administrative and
proceduralreviews,thepromotions are expected to restore structured career progression within the service, improve succession planning and strengthen accountability across correctional institutions.
Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond posited that, “These promotions place trusted officers in positions of greater responsibility Securefacilitiesand effective rehabilitation depend on their discipline, fairness, and daily commitmenttolawfulandhumane custody.”
Minister Walrond urged those promoted to pursue continuous personal development, while
FollowingupfromaNovember 2025 engagement, the Ministry of Public Works has announced that they have officially finalised the arrangementtobuildanewtarmac to accommodate some 59 vendors
who ply their trade along the Railway Embankment, at Buxton, EastCoastofDemerara.
According to the ministry, MinisterJuanEdghillalongsidehis technical team onWednesday held
a multi-stakeholder engagement with the Buxton-Foulis Neighbourhood Democratic Council(NDC),Representativesof theBuxtonVendors,theconsultant Beston Consulting Inc. to finalise
The area which is earmarked for the new tarmac for Buxton vendors.
noting that, “Advancement within the Service must be accompanied byacademicprogressionandskillsbuilding.”
Further,itwasoutlinedthatthe
comprehensivereformprogramme,
modernisation at the Lusignan and Mazaruniprisonfacilitiesandother locations; enhanced security s
monitoring; professional training for more than 150 officers in 2026 in correctional management and humanrightsstandards;andskillsbased reintegration programmes aimed at strengthening pathways forinmates.
Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill meeting with vendors and other stakeholders at Buxton on Wednesday.
theagreementforrelocation.
During the engagement, Minister Edghill reaffirmed, after the construction of the tarmac, the relocation exercise will not displace any vendor He also outlinedsomeoftheamenitiesthat will be provided for the vendors which include washroom facilities and lighting to ensure the security ofallthevendors.
“The development of this tarmac will allow for the orderly
relocation of vendors, thereby clearing the major road artery to enable the contractor to proceed withconstructionworksinthearea for the advancement of the East Coast Demerara Road Expansion Project,”theministryinformed. The consultation back in November with the vendors, the ministrystatedthatitformspartof the Government’s approach to ensuringthatanyaffectedvendors
Continued on page 16
Construction of the $1 7B new Cotton Field
Secondary School in Region Two is 48 percent completed Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Two, Susanah Saywack and engineers visited the construction site on Thursday, where they reviewed the status and
progress of the scope of works and pace which was discussed with the consultantandcontractor
The school, which sod turning exercise took place in February 2026, is scheduled for completion in December2026.
The construction of the school forms part of the
Ministry of Education’s ongoing commitment to improving educational infrastructure and ensuring that schools across Guyana provide safe, modern, and supportive spaces for learning.
Kaieteur News reported that Builders Hardware, General Supplies, and
A father and his 15-year-old daughter were killed early Thursday morning in a car crash at the Mandela Avenue Roundabout, Georgetown.
The victims have been identified as Kenneth Johnson of ‘A’ Field, Sophia, who was the driver of the car and his daughter, KellyJohnson.
Kenneth was reportedly driving west along the northern lane of Aubrey Barker Roadathighspeedwhenhelostcontrolwhile attempting to turn at the Mandela Avenue Roundabout.Thecarcollidedwithaconcrete median, overturned several times, and came toastop.Kenneth,andKellywereflungfrom the vehicle. They were pronounced dead at the scene. Another teenage occupant was extractedbyemergencyservicesandtakento theGeorgetownPublicHospital.
Policeinastatementsaidinitialenquiries revealed that the motor car was proceeding westalongAubreyBarkerRoadwhen,upon approaching the Nelson Mandela Avenue Roundabout,thedriverallegedlylostcontrol of the vehicle while negotiating a turn. The vehiclecollidedwiththeconcretemedianand overturned several times before coming to a stop on the western parapet of the Nelson Mandela to Eccles Inter-Link Road. As a resultofthecollision,theKennethandKelly sustainedinjuriesandwerepronounceddead at the scene by a doctor on duty The other occupant was rescued from the vehicle and transported to the Georgetown Public HospitalCorporation,whereheisadmittedin a critical condition. The bodies of the
Regional
Construction is executing the school project and was awarded the contract through the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office for $1,798,137,760.
The new school will include modern classrooms, administrativeoffices,sports facilities,andotheressential amenities to support a wellr o u n d e d l e a r n i n g environmentforthestudents of Cotton Field and surroundingareas.
In January 2025, former Regional Chairperson, VilmaDeSilvatoldKaieteur
deceased were escorted to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, where they await post-mortem examinations. CCTV cameras were observed in the area and will be reviewedaspartoftheinvestigation.
News that the new school is being constructed to accommodate an everincreasing number of students.
“The existing one (school building) is very old it’s not feasible to repair Also, the population is increasing,”DeSilvasaid. Currently, there are 650 students attending the Cotton Field Secondary While construction of the new school is ongoing, the students are being accommodated at the Anna Regina Multilateral School and will attend school via a shiftsystem
- Mustapha tells FAO regional conference
Minister of Agriculture
Zulfikar Mustapha has urged greater commitment, coordinated regional action and increased financing to tackle hunger and poverty across Latin America and theCaribbean.
Speakingvirtuallyatthe opening of the 39th session of the Food andAgriculture
Organisation (FAO) Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean (LARC 39), Mustapha, the outgoing chair of the previous conference, presented a summary of key outcomes and recommendations from LARC38.
Addressing the 39th session he noted that the conference conducted a frank assessment of the regional outlook for food security and nutrition. The outgoing chair said while the 38th session noted a
recent decrease in the p r e v a l e n c e o f undernourishment at the regional level, members expressed deepconcernoverthe sharp increase in hunger within the Caribbean subregion.
“ T h e y a l s o a c k n o w
improvements in
S
A
alongside persistent challenges in Mesoamerica a
, highlighted that our region faces the highest cost for a healthy diet globally, and recognised the acute vulnerabilities of Small Island Developing States to climate change, disasters, and external shocks,” he
e
Mustaphafurtherstatedthat in response to the complex panorama, the conference s
Minister of Agriculture
Zulfikar Mustapha
and regional
eradicating hunger and poverty, including the initiative for a Global AllianceagainstHungerand Poverty
“Members unanimously underscored the need for
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President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB, the Bank), Daniel M. Best, has unveiled a transformativeagendatopositionthe Region for long-term resilience, calling this period the Caribbean’s “decade of decision.”
Speaking at the Bank’s Annual News Conference on March 3, President Best underscored the scale of the moment, noting that heightened geopolitical tensions, climatevolatility,technological disruption, and shifting global supply chains are reshaping the global economy
He revealed that between 2024and2033,theRegionwill need an estimated US$65.2 billion to prevent economic stagnation. Achieving meaningful climate adaptation, strengthening infrastructure, and building fiscal buffers could double that requirement,withadditionalexternal shocks pushing the financing
needs even higher
“The decisions we take today will/ultimately determine/whether20millionCaribbean futures are protected orplacedatrisk,”Beststated. “Thedecadeaheadcannotbe financed or governed at yesterday’s scale.”
A strategic response Torespondtothesegrowing pressures, CDB has increased its ambition and capacity.InFebruary,theBank’s Board approved its Strategic Plan 2026–2035, a decadelong framework designed to keep the institution agile in anincreasinglyvolatileenvironment.ThePlanisbuilton three interconnected pillars: Social Resilience, Economic Resilience,andEnvironmentalResilience.
Social Resilience will prioritise reliable access to essential services, poverty reduction, inclusive social protection, and strengthened education and healthcare
systems.EconomicResilience willfocusondiversifyingand modernising Caribbean economies through climateresilientinfrastructure,stronger fiscal systems, digital connectivity, food security, a vibrant cultural sector, and privatesector-ledgreeninnovation.EnvironmentalResilience,describedbythePresident as “existential” for the Caribbean, will advance climate adaptation, mitigation, and nature-positive developmenttosafeguardecosystems and livelihoods.
Youth, Institutions, and ClimateAction
Operationally, the Bank will sharpen its focus on Youth, Institutions, and Climate Action. With half the Region’s population under 30, investments will expand skillsdevelopment,entrepreneurship, and employment pathways. Institutional strengthening will address procurementbottlenecks,fis-
Works to begin on new tarmac...
From page 13 remain informed and accommodated to continue their economic activity as works progressalongtheEastCoast corridor
“Workshavecommenced on the site with contractors, China Railway First Group (CRFG) beginning the clearingoftheidentifiedlandalong the Buxton Line Top, next to the Buxton-Foulis NDC for the new tarmac to be built for vending.
This was made possible through collaboration with the Neighbourhood DemocraticCouncil(NDC)andthe
RegionalDemocraticCouncil (RDC) to ensure a suitable and accessible location for vendors who will have to relocate,” the ministry explained.
Further,thePublicWorks Ministrynotedthatitremains committed to the smooth transition of the vendors to the new site, committing to limited disruptions to the vendors.
Theministryalsowishes to advise the public that as the project continues to advance, further engagements will be held with vendors to ensure a smooth and orderly
relocation process when the new vending area is completed.
As reported, the East CoastDemeraraRoadExpansion Project is one of the countrysmajorinfrastructure undertakings which is aimed at improving traffic flow, reducing congestion, and enhancing road safety for thousands of commuters who travelalongthecorridordaily
Kaieteur News understands that the ministry recently made similar provisions for vendors at B Field Sophia,astheylooktowiden the road network there.
From page 14 Development Goals One and Two,” he said. He noted that a central conclusion is that financing to transform the agricultural food system remainfragmentedandinsufficient. “The conference emphasisedthecriticalimportance of mobilising innovative and scaled-up financing to eliminate hunger, guarantee the right to adequate food, and support the vital work of subnational governments in building efficient, inclusive, and resilient local food systems,” the minister added.
To this end, Mustapha noted thathehopesattheLARC39 some of the outcomes can be achieved and the process can move forward. The minister noted that spotlighted FAO’s roleingeneratingrobustdata and evidence to guard public policies and investment was acknowledged as indispensable.
Further, he noted that LARC 38 also examined the imperative of reducing food loss and waste and recommended that FAO intensified its support to members in implementing the food loss and waste model laws, through enhanced policy dialogue, knowledge exchange and targeted technical assistance.
He said that it was agreed that the urgent strengthening of resilience was needed, given the rapidly increasing risks facing the region.
This, he added, requires transforming agrifood systems through science, innovation, robust early warning systems, and deeper regional cooperation.
Mustapha stressed that if targetsaresetandrecommendations are made conference after conference without any progress, it undermines the objectives. He further stated that members endorsed the
fourregionalprioritiesasthe key mechanism for implementing the FAO Strategic Framework2022-31.
The minister highlighted thatitwasrecommendedthat FAO provide integrated normative,technical,policy,and investment planning support to members through a cohesiveprogrammaticapproach, to ensure greater impact and leaving no one behind. Support was also expressed for FAO’s ongoing efforts to moderniseitsCountryOffice Networkthroughtransparent and inclusive consultations.
“Thefundamentalroleof agrifood systems was reaffirmed not only in ensuring foodsecuritybutalsoindriving economic progress, promoting healthy diets, generating employment, and managing natural resources sustainably, thereby accelerating progress across the entire2030Agenda,”Mustapha added.
cal management gaps, and implementationinefficiencies in countries to accelerate delivery and build long-term credibility
Regardingclimateaction, Best noted “Our region requires approximately US$14 billion annually for climate response but mobilises less than 10% of that. At CDB, wearecommitting30%ofour total financing and 35% of our Special Development Fund resources to climate adaptation and mitigation.”
The President also reaffirmedCDB’scommitmentto Haiti, emphasising strengthened country presence and targeted support for micro, smallandmediumenterprises (MSMEs),renewableenergy, and disaster risk management.
To match its expanded ambition, CDB is bolstering its financial capacity. MeasuresincludeaCHF100millioncapitalraiseontheSwiss market,aUS$450millionExposureExchangeAgreement, and the upcoming launch of a Euro Medium-Term Note Programme enabling up to US$1billioninissuanceover three years. These initiatives buildonCDB’sstrongfinancial standing, recently reaffirmed by Fitch Ratings, whichmaintainedtheBank’s AA+ credit rating with a stable outlook.
These, he explained, are recommendations from discussionsthattookplaceatthe 38thmeetinginGuyana.
He also expressed hope that in the 39th session, the achievements of the targeted objectives can be reviewed.
“In the coming days, let us examine the outcomes to determine how many targets were met. These are objectives that demand our immediate attention, because if we do not achieve them, we will have failed the people in the region,”heexplained.
The FAO Regional Conference is the highest forum whereitsmemberstatesmeet to agree on priority challenges and actions related to food and agriculture, and is essential to ensuring the effectivenessofFAO’sworkin the service of its members in the upcoming biennium. The 39th FAO Regional ConferenceistakingplaceinBrasília, Brazil,fromMarch2to6,2026.
Concluding his address, President Best invited stakeholders to envision a Caribbean in 2035 that is recognised as one of the world’smostresilientregions - powered by modernised institutions, harmonised disaster risk systems, digital public administration, and globally competitive youth-led enterprises. “Moments of complexityarealsomoments of opportunity,” Best emphasised.
“The choices we make today will echo across the next generation. We are strengthening our agility, deepening our engagement, and elevating our delivery because the people of the Caribbean deserve nothing lessthanexcellence.”
Held at the Frank Collymore Hall in Bridgetown, Barbados, the Annual News Conference providedaplatformforCDB to outline its Strategic Plan 2026–2035, assess regional economic performance in 2025, and present the economicoutlookfor2026.Bank executives also highlighted key 2025 project outcomes, previewed2026priorities,and reaffirmed the institution’s climate and environmental prioritiesaspartofitsbroader resilience agenda.
KINGSTON, Jamaica
— Foreign Affairs Minister
Senator Kamina Johnson
Smith has expressed confidenceinthestrengthof the relationship between Jamaica and the United States (U.S.) following recent comments made by a U.S. Congressman who warned that Jamaica could face consequences for comments Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness made expressingsupportforCuba.
“Wetooknoteofthepost that was made in social media but we are 100 per centconfidentthatthebroad acceptance and recognition of the prime minister's statement was that it was balanced,itwasvisionary,it wasrealistic,itexpressedthe complexity of the circumstances of the relationshipofCubawiththe region, while recognising our grounded and fundamental beliefs in democracyandfreedomand open market as we practice and live here every day, and t h a t t h e [ U S ] administration broadly recognised it as such,” JohnsonSmithsaid.
She was responding to a reporter's question at Tuesday's post-Cabinet media briefing at Jamaica House.
She pointed to a recent meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and members of his delegation which she said was entirely cordialandproductive.
“Youwouldseethatfrom comments made by SecretaryRubiohimselfand therefore there's really no concern regarding any perhaps misplaced perspective that might be taken by an individual as opposed to a broader recognition of the strong partnershipthatcontinuesto exist between the U.S. and Jamaica,” Johnson Smith noted.
OnFebruary24,Holness u r g e d C a r i b b e a n Community (CARICOM) memberstatestoaddressthe humanitarian crisis in Cuba “with clarity and courage” and suggested that wise, skillful and prudent management is needed to resolve the deepening geopolitical conflict between Washington and
Holness, the immediate pastchairmanoftheregional bloc, was delivering his address on the opening day of CARICOM's 50th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in Basseterre, StKittsandNevis. Theconferencewasheld against the backdrop of risingconcernsintheregion over the crisis in Cuba, triggered by United States
President Donald Trump's oilblockadeontheSpanishspeakingcountry Trump cut off key suppliesofVenezuelanoilto Cuba after ousting Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and has threatened sanctions on statesthatselloiltoHavana. Cuba,underaU.S. trade embargo since 1962, has for years battled extended power cuts and shortages of fuel, medicine and food,
even before the Caribbean countryof9.6millionpeople lostitsmainoilsupplierlast month.
In his address to
CARICOM heads, Holness pointedtotherolethatCuba has played in supporting its Caribbeanneighbours.
“Its doctors and teachers have served across our region.Itspeoplearepartof our shared history But today,theCubanpeopleface severe economic hardship, energy shortages and growing humanitarian strain,”Holnesssaid.
HedeclaredthatJamaica is sensitive to the struggles of the Cuban people and p o i n t e d o u t t h a t “humanitarian suffering servesnoone”.
“Apartfromourfraternal care and solidarity with the Cuban people, it must be clear that a prolonged crisis in Cuba will not remain confined to Cuba. It will affect migration, security and economic stability across the Caribbean basin. It is, therefore, important that we carefully consider this matter and take collective action,” Holness said.
“Let there be no doubt, Jamaica stands firmly for democracy, human rights, political accountability, and open market-based economies. We do not believe that long-term stability can exist where economic freedom is constrained and political participation is limited,” he added.
By Wednesday, Holness was facing backlash for his speech United States Congressman Carlos Giménez, who was born in Cuba,blastedHolnessviaX overhiscomments.
Addressing Holness in his capacity as the leader of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Giménez said, “I harshly condemn this and find it lamentable that the JLP would cover up for the moribund dictatorship in #Cuba, when the Castro regime repeatedly intervened in #Jamaica's politics to exacerbate partisan tensions and underminetheJLP!” He ended his post with the warning that, “Jamaica willfacetheconsequences!”
DPI-Guyanahasreaffirmedits commitment to strengthening regional security and cooperation with the United States (U S ) Government to counter narcotrafficking and other forms of transnationalcrime.
Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret'd)MarkPhillipisrepresenting Guyana at the first “America CounterCartelConference”hosted by U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at the U S Southern CommandinMiami,Florida.Itwas atthisconferencethathereinforced Guyana'sposition.
Prime Minister Phillips expressed appreciation to the U.S. government and its Secretary of Warforconveningthemeetingand extending an invitation for Guyana'sparticipation.
“Guyana and the United States share a strong and expanding strategic partnership built on mutualtrustandrobustdefenceand security cooperation through capacity building, joint exercises, and policy and technical engagements,” he said in his remarks.
Theprimeministerhighlighted that both nations have worked closely to combat transnational crimes, noting that criminal networks involving cartels, gangs, and other organised groups pose a seriousthreattopeaceandsecurity acrosstheregion. With Guyana's geographic position along major maritime and regional transit corridors, he said the fight against narco-trafficking and narco-terrorism is extremely important.
primeministerstressedtheneedfor strong cooperation among countries in the region to address these threats effectively At the same time, he said that all collaborative efforts must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrityofeachparticipatingstate.
Because of these factors, the
As economic and strategic growth continues throughout the
region,hesaid,“Itisalsoessential that we work together to protect critical infrastructure, strengthen national institutions, and enhance our resilience to evolving security threats ”During the conference, Guyana welcomed the adoption of a Joint Security Declaration aimed at strengthening hemispheric cooperation against organised
crime and narco-terrorism. Prime Minister Phillips signalled that Guyanaintendstojointhecoalition and pledged continued support for regionalsecurityinitiatives. He also reinforced Guyana's commitment to acting as a reliable and active partner in advancing peace,security,andstabilityacross theWesternHemisphere.
Aljazeera - United States President Donald Trump has announced that he will replace Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin.
In a social media post on Thursday,Trumpexplainedthathe had reassigned Noem to be a special envoy for a new security initiative focused on the Western Hemisphere,dubbedthe“Shieldof theAmericas”.
The staffing change, he added, willtakeeffectstartingMarch31.It marks the first major cabinet-level shakeupofTrump'ssecondtermso far
Trump praised Noem upon her departure from the cabinet-level post,writingthatshe“hasservedus well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on theBorder!)”
But Noem has played a prominent role in some of the administration'smostcontroversial immigration policies, and her tenure at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has spurred questions about governmentspendingandconflicts ofinterest.
The announcement that she wouldbeleavingherpostcomesa
day after she faced a grilling from Democrats during congressional judiciary hearings this week, several of whom called for her resignation.
“DHS is supposed to be protecting our residents and upholding constituti
nal protections. But you've turned that on the head. You have actually turned the United States government against its own residents,” Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat, said during Wednesday'shearing.
“Yours is a case of failed leadership. Secretary, you need to resign, be fired or be impeached becauseyoudon'thavetherightto lead this agency.”Israeli attacks, threats fuel mass displacement crisisinsouthernLebanon
The announcement of Noem's removal also comes as DHS continues to weather a partial governmentshutdown.
Democrats have opposed approving new funding legislation for the department in response to severaldeadlyshootingsinvolving immigration agents under Noem's leadership.
Those shootings were brought up again this week during Noem's appearances before judiciary committees in the Senate and
HouseofRepresentatives.
Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin, for instance, repeatedly accused Noem of launching a “smear campaign” against two US citizens shot to death during interactions with immigration agents: Renee Good andAlexPretti.
“There have been three homicides in Minneapolis in 2026 and your agents committed two of them,”RaskintoldNoem.
He also highlighted comments Noem made calling Good and Pretti“domesticterrorists“,despite evidence undercutting the administration's depiction of the eventsleadingtotheirdeaths.
“Rather than work with state and local authorities to solve these homicides,youbarredMinnesota's investigators from the crime scenes,”Raskinsaid.“Itsmellslike acoverupanditmakesmewonder who the real domestic terrorists a
Republican governor of South Dakota, has also been scrutinised for a $220m advertising campaign promotingbordersecurity
The ad campaign shows Noem riding a horse near Mount Rushmore, a well-known national memorialinNoem'shomestate.
The news outlet ProPublica
Secretary Kristi Noem attends a House Judiciary Committee hearing on March 4 [Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters]
previously reported that a government contract for the campaign went to a Republican consulting firm with ties to senior DHSofficials.
N
any wrongdoing, stating that the biddingprocesswas“competitive” andthatthecontractwas“alldone correctly,alldonelegally”.
On Thursday, ahead of announcing the staffing change, Trump denied any connection to the advertising campaign, telling the news service Reuters that he “neverknewanythingaboutit”.
Noem played a key role in the administration's mass deportation push, and she has frequently used rhetoricthatvilifiedimmigrantsas dangerousandviolent.
Though DHS's mandate is on domesticsecurity,Noemhasmade
several international trips over the last year, including visits to EcuadorinJulyandNovember Her replacement as DHS head, Mullin,hasservedasaUSsenator since2023.Hewasarepresentative in the House for a decade before that,representingOklahoma.
Trump highlighted his membership in the Cherokee Nation, writing that Mullin would be a “fantastic advocate for our incredibleTribal Communities” as DHSleader
“Markwayne will work tirelessly to Keep our Border Secure, Stop Migrant Crime, Murderers, and other Criminals from illegally entering our Country,EndtheScourgeofIllegal Drugs and, MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN,” Trump said on Thursday.
Aljazeera -The United StatesIsraeli war with Iran continues to rage, as Washington pledges to send more troops and military assets to the Middle East and Tehranwidensitsretaliatorystrikes acrosstheregion.
But on Thursday, top officials underUS PresidentDonaldTrump shifted focus to another military front:LatinAmerica.
Sincetakingofficeforasecond term,Trumphasindicatedheplans to exert US dominance over the entire Western Hemisphere. His pushforcontrolhascoincidedwith military operations against alleged criminal networks across the region.
At Thursday's inaugural “Americas Counter Cartel Conference”, speakers such as White House security adviser Stephen Miller assured reporters thatLatinAmericawouldremaina top military priority for the US, regardless of events in the Middle East.“We are not going to cede an inchofterritoryinthishemisphere to our enemies or adversaries,” Miller said, adding the US was “usinghardpower,militarypower, lethal force, to protect and defend theAmericanhomeland”.
Miller further maintained there is no “criminal justice solution” to drug cartels, which he likened to armed groups like al-Qaeda and ISIL(ISIS).
Organisedcrime,heconcluded, “canonlybedefeatedwithmilitary power”.
Since Trump took office last year,hisadministrationhasapplied what experts describe as a “global war on terror” approach to Latin America, including by labelling drug cartels “foreign terrorist organisations”.
Figures like Miller, a key architect behind Trump's hardline immigration policies, have championed the president's militaristic approach, even as critics warn it raises human rights andlegalconcerns.
Last September, for instance, the administration began striking alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean, in what rights groups have decriedasextrajudicialkillings.
And in early January, the US launched an extraordinary operation to abduct Venezuelan leaderNicolasMaduro.Ithassince pursued a pressure campaign against Cuba designed to weaken itscommunistgovernment.
Just this week, on Wednesday, the Pentagon announced it had launched joint operations with Ecuador's military “against D e s i g n a t e d Te r r o r i s t Organisations” in the South Americancountry
The announcement indicated a newfrontforUSmilitaryactionsin the region, which officials have saidcouldincludelandoperations.
But the broadening scope of Trump's military involvement in LatinAmerica, combined with the nascent war with Iran, has raised
questions about the US's ability to sustain such intense military activity
Preparedto'goonoffence alone'
The “Americas Counter Cartel Conference” came as Latin American leaders arrived in South Floridatoattendaregionalsummit hostedbyTrumpathisMar-a-Lago estate.Attendees included officials fromtheTrump-alliedconservative governments in Argentina, Honduras and the Dominican Republic.
But despite support from several regional governments, SecretaryofDefencePeteHegseth nevertheless told the audience that the US was “prepared to take on” LatinAmerica's cartels and “go on theoffencealone,ifnecessary”.
“However, it is our preference — and it is the goal of this conference—that,intheinterestof this neighbourhood, we all do it together,”Hegsethadded.
The secretary also praised Trump's take on the 1823 Monroe Doctrine,whichsoughttoestablish a US sphere of influence, separate from Europe, in the Western Hemisphere Administration officials have dubbed Trump's parallel approach the “Donroe doctrine”.
Hegseth framed the administration's attacks on alleged drug-smugglingboatsasakeystone of Trump's effort to maintain regionalinfluence.TheUSmilitary has carried out at least 44 aerial
strikes on vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in an estimated 150 knowndeaths.
The identities of the victims have not been released, with several family members saying fishermen and informal workers wereamongthosetargeted.
The Pentagon chief said the approach was meant to “establish deterrence”.“If the consequence was simply to be arrested and then released,well,that'saconsequence they'dalreadypricedinalongtime ago,”Hegsethsaid.Hethenpointed to a “few weeks” in February in which there were no strikes on alleged drug boats.The pause in attacks,hesaid,wasevidenceofthe strategy's success. But that break notably came as the US surged assetstotheMiddleEast.
Emphasison'heritage'
Neither Hegseth nor Miller specificallyreferredtothewarwith Iran,butthepairtouchedonthemes that have been present in the administration's messaging on the war
Trump,forexample,saidIran's government “waged war against civilisationitself”.Therehavebeen reports, meanwhile, that US military officials have referenced the biblical “end times” as a religiousunderpinningforthewar
Those remarks have reflected what critics consider Trump's embrace of Christian nationalism and his view of the Americas as a European-derived “civilisation”
threatenedbyoutsideforces.
At Thursday's conference, Miller himself referenced violence inEuropeanhistoryasjustification forthemodern-daymilitaryactions inLatinAmerica.
TherewereperiodsinEuropean history throughout the 18th and 19th centuries during which “ruthlessmeanswereusedtogetrid ofthepeoplewhowererapingand murdering and defying established systems of order and justice,” Millersaid.HealsoechoedTrump's allegation that Europe was facing “civilisational erasure” as a result of left-wing leadership and immigration.
“ThereasonwhymanyWestern countries are struggling today is they've forgotten the eternal truth and wisdoms they once followed,” Miller said.Hegseth, meanwhile, described all the countries at Thursday's meeting as “offsprings ofWesterncivilisation”.
Representatives in attendance, he said, faced a test “whether our nationswillbeandremainWestern n a t i o n s w i t h d i s t i n c t characteristics, Christian nations under God, proud of our shared heritage with strong borders and prosperous people ruled not by violenceandchaosbutbylaw”.
He added that foreign “incursions” represent “existential questions” for the region, seeminglyreferencingthegrowing influence of China as an economic and political partner in the Americas.
Justice Damone Younge on Thursday dismissed the application by embattled businessmen Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed to have their Cambio licence reinstated.
The duo facing United States Department of the Treasury’sOfficeofForeign Assets Control (OFAC) sanction on allegations of fraud,moneylaunderingand gold smuggling, had challenged the Bank of Guyana (BOG)’s revocation of their license. In their application, the father and son claimed that the licence for their business place Confidential Cambio was revoked despite the fact that they were not afforded an opportunitytobeheardprior to the revocation, in breach of the principles of natural justice. The two contended further that the BOG “acted unfairly,unreasonablyandin breach of lawful procedure when it revoked their’ cambio licence based solely on an external designation withoutdueprocess.”
Consequently, their Fixed Date Application
(FDA) sought judicial reviewofthebank’sdecision several orders including a declaration that the decision torevoketheCambiolicense isunlawful,null,voidandof no legal effect; an order of certiorari quashing the decision of the Bank of Guyanamadeonoraboutthe 12th and13th ofJune2024 revoking the applicants’ Cambio licence, a decla
n
hat the applicants’right to be heard and right to natural justice were violated, a declaration that the applicants are entitled to the protection of the Constitution and laws of
Guyana, and that decisions m a d e b y f o r e i g n governments or agencies do not have automatic legal effectinGuyana.
Finally,theduoaskedfor an order of mandamus compelling the Respondent to restore the Cambio licence. In its consideration, theCourtnotedthatitisclear from
he expressed provisions of the Dealers in F o r e i g n C u r r e n c y (Licensing)Act the Bank of Guyana has the power to revokealicence.
“This power can be exercisedwherethelicensee has ceased to carry on the
To the Guyanese public and the Honourable Justice Navindra Singh, Acting ChiefJusticeofGuyana:
I K A Juman-Yassin, S.C., hereby unreservedly retract and apologise for statements made by me in myletterpublishedunderthe title:“Actingappointmentof the Chancellor and Chief Justice of Guyana,” which appeared in Kaieteur News onDecember31,2025anda news article titled “ Yassin slams forced retirement of chancellor’.
Upon further reflection and after being made aware of the true facts, I acknowledge that several statements and implications inmypublicationwerefalse andunjustified,andIdeeply regret the distress and reputational harm caused to JusticeSingh.
Specifically, I retract and apologise forthefollowing:
1 The assertion and implication that Justice S i n g h k n o w i n g l y participated in, acquiesced in, or acted pursuant to an improper executive “plan” designed to influence the administration of justice or the handling of politically sensitive litigation. I now recognize that there is no factual basis for any such allegation, and i did not
intendtosuggestthatJustice Singh was involved in any improper conduct or scheme.
2. The suggestion that Justice Singh’s appointment as Acting Chief Justice was irregular, improper, or contrary to established judicial norms, including any implication that his elevation was motivated by political considerations or thathewasselectedtoserve an improper executive or partisan purpose. I accept that Justice Singh’s a p p o i n t m e n t w a s constitutionally valid and consistent with established practice. I did state that he givenanopportunitytoserve as Chief Justice and could notfaulthimforacceptingit
3. The allegation that Justice Singh excluded or locked out Justice Roxane George from the Chief Justice’sChambers,oracted on instructions to do so. I now understand and accept that Justice George was never locked out of the Chambers by Justice Singh orotherwise,andthatJustice Singh acted properly and courteously at all times. In fact, there was a meeting at 8.30a.m.onthemorningand both Justice George and Justice Singh decided that they would await the decision of His Excellency I
Confidential Cambio, Lombard Street Headquarters
licenced business for a particular period or has contravened or failed to comply with any of the conditions of the licence or any provision of the Act.”
continuation or not of their r e s p e c t i v e a c t i
appointmentsandasaresult Justice George did not seek to occupy her former chambers.
4. Any imputation that Justice Singh subordinated his judicial independence or
improperlytoward
Judicial
personal advancement above constitutional duty and the rule of law
insinuations were wholly unfounded I sincerely apologise to Justice Singh
reputational injury that may have been caused by my
apologise to the Judiciary and the public for any undermining of confidence in the administration of justice that may have
y publication. I undertake to refrain from making any further statements of this natureandtoensurethatthis retraction and apology is published with the same prominence and frequency astheoriginalpublication.
Signed
S.C.
K.A. Juman-Yassin,
One such provision of the Actissection4(1),whichis the basis upon which the licence would have been issuedinthefirstplace.”“In this Court’s considered view…theappearanceofthe Applicants on the SDN list would and has, in this Court’s view, negatively impacted whatever good charactertheApplicantsmay have enjoyed prior to the imposition of the OFAC sanctionandatthetimethey were issued the licence…In those circumstances, this Courtholdsthatthebankhad every right, and indeed an obligation, to consider the Applicants’ sanctioned
status and having done so andfoundthemnolonger‘fit andproper’,wasempowered to revoke the Applicants’ licence on that ground. The revocationoftheApplicants’ licence by the Respondent was therefore done in accordance with the Dealers in Foreign Currency (Licensing)Act.”
As it relates to the opportunity to be heard, the Court noted that from the evidence available, it appeared that a letter was sent by the bank via electronic mail addressed to Nazar Mohamed who then respondedthefollowingday at 8:15 a.m., also via email, by stating, “I will be there, thankyou”
Thisemailexchangewas not challenged by the applicants,thoughitwasnot revealed by them in their
application.Thefactthatthe senior Mohamed did not attend the meeting despite confirming his attendance was also not disputed. “It is clear to this Court that the Applicants were provided with an opportunity to be heardpriortotherevocation ofthelicence,butforreasons knownonlytothem,theydid not avail themselves of the opportunity ThisCourtdoes not agree with the Applicants’ submission that atthetimethatletterwassent the respondent [BOG] had already predetermined the matter, nor does this Court agree with their contention thattheletterofthe12thJune 2024wasarevocationofthe licence,” the judge stated in her determination of the matter
Finally,theCourt
Continued on page 9
Frompage2 Ministry says. Thousands fled southern Beirut on ThursdayafterIsraelwarned residentstoleave.
NETANYAHU SAYS ‘MUCH WORK STILL LIES AHEAD’
A l t h o u g h s o m e international financial marketsrecoveredfromfalls earlier in the week, the economic impact, opens new tab of the campaign intensified, with countries around the world cut off from a fifth of global supplies of oil and liquefied natural gas and air transport stillfacingchaosandglobal logistics increasingly snarled.
On Thursday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said theyhadhitaU.S.tankerin thenorthernpartoftheGulf and the vessel was on fire, the latest of numerous reports of such attacks Visiting an air force base in the ‘south of the country, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s achievements so far
in Iran had been “great” but that “much work still lies ahead.”
Iran’s foreign minister said Washington would “
” the precedent it had set by sinking a ship in international waters without warning. A commander of the Revolutionary Guards, General Kioumars Heydari, told state TV: “We have decided to fight Americans wherever they are.” The body of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killedinthefirsthoursofthe U.S.-Israeli air campaign in the first assassination of a country’s top ruler by an airstrike,hadbeendue`tolie in state in a Tehran prayer hall from Wednesday eveningtolaunchthreedays ofmourning.
But the memorial, expected to draw many thousandsofmournerstothe streets, was abruptly postponed.
ISRAEL’S PHASE 2
Two sources familiar withIsrael’sbattleplanssaid
that Israel, having killed many Iranian leaders, was now planning to enter a secondphasewhenitwould target underground bunkers where Iran stores its missiles Israel’s military chief said in a televised statementthat60%ofIran’s ballistic missile launchers have so far been knocked ‘out.
Israel has said its aim is to overthrow Iran’s clerical rulers. Washington says its goal is to prevent Tehran from being able to project forcebeyonditsborders,but ithasalsocalledonIranians toriseupandseizepower
Israel had already made
Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday
Although the number of missiles fired at Israel has dropped since Saturday, Iranian and Hezbollah barrages still sent millions rushing to shelters as air raid sirens sounded and schoolsremainedshut.
Industrial Training Centre
(
Mahaicony Technical and Vocational Training Centre (MT&VTC) defeated New Amsterdam Technical Institute (NATI) 2–1 to secure their places in the final of the inaugural
Tournament.
The semifinal action concluded on Thursday at the Number Five Ground as the Petra Organisation wrapped up the penultimate stage of the championship, setting up a decisive clash
Here's part of the semifinals action between Upper Corentyne Industrial Training Centre T and Essequibo Technical Institute, Corentyne prevailing to a 1-0 win to advance to final.
MT&VTConSunday UCITC were the first team to book their place in
ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19
Partsofyourlifemightseem likegladiatorialgamesoutof ancient Rome The good newsisthatifanyonecanrise above this situation and see thetruthinthematter,it'syou
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
You're apt to go in circles if youonlyseethenegativeside of every situation, Taurus Yourlackofperspectivecould keep you from seeing an answerrightinfrontofyou
GEMINI(May21–June20)
You're likely to be on a roll with new and innovative ideasaboutyourgoalsinlife, Gemini. Unfortunately, there aresomeobstacles.
CANCER(June21–July22)
Remember that even though thereistensionandchaosall around, Cancer, it doesn't have to affect you. Your motto should be you're "in it butnotofit.”
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
While your brain may want tochargeaheadwithnewand revolutionary ideas, there is something holding you back from setting these ideas into motion,Leo.
VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)
You could feel like you're walking a puppy that won't heel, Virgo. The puppy is curious and, at times, rather reckless.Itdoesn'tknowabout thedangersofcarsoratwisted leash You have a great responsibility to teach this.
the final after a hard-fought victory over Essequibo Technical Institute The decisivemomentcameinthe 39th minute when Raevon LeBron Simon battled past a determined defender to gain possessionbeforeunleashing a powerful strike from just outsidethe18-yardbox.The shot sailed over the goalkeeper's head, giving
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
Your mental processes may run into a snag as you discover that there are certain rules and guidelines bywhichyouneedtoabide, Libra.
Mahaicony Technical and Vocational Training Centre marches into Modec's final with 2-1 win over New Amsterdam Technical Institute.
UCITC a slender but crucial 1–0lead.
Essequibo returned for thesecondhalfwithrenewed urgency, dominating the midfieldandcreatingseveral attempts on goal. Despite theirincreasedpressure,they were unable to find the equaliser before the final whistle, allowing UCITC to secure their spot in Sunday's championshipmatch.
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov.21)
Inallthetimespenttryingto stabilize your emotions and achievesensitivity,youmay get too caught up in your feelings, Scorpio. Because of this, you may have not been listening to your rationalmindlately.
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)
The more you can apply to yourownlifetheadviceyou give to others, the better off you'llbe,Sagittarius.Noone is going to follow a leader who doesn't abide by his or herownstandards.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
Youmaybeonaslow,steady track of discipline that embraces an older, more traditionalwayoflookingat things,Capricorn.
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)
A radical force seems to be stirring up trouble and challenging your longestablishedbeliefsabouthow things should be done and whatyouholdmostdear
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)
Thingscouldgetabittense foryou,Pisces.Oneofyour first reactions might be to look to your loved ones for support.
The second semifinal between MT&VTC and NATI produced three goals after an entertaining but scoreless first half Mahaicony found their breakthrough in the 55th minute when Tyrell Delph weaved past multiple defenders, worked his way into the six-yard box and calmly slotted the ball home to give his side a 1–0 advantage.
NATIrespondedquickly Just three minutes later, Howard Smith produced a brilliant solo run before finishing decisively to level thematchat1–1.
Withthegameseemingly heading toward a penalty shootout, Omar Williams restored Mahaicony's lead in the 74th minute with a thunderous close-range strikethatleftthegoalkeeper with no chance. The goal sealed a 2–1 victory and propelledMT&VTCintothe final.
With the semifinal stage completed, attention now turns to Sunday, March 8, when the tournament champions will be crowned. Mahaicony Technical and Vocational Training Centre will face Upper Corentyne Industrial Training Centre in the final at 3:30 pm. Earlier, Essequibo Technical Institute will meet New Amsterdam Technical Institute in the third-place playoff.
The tournament is sponsored by Modec, with support from MACORP, Demerara Mutual Group, MVP Sports, PowerAde, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, and the Ministry ofEducation.
Guyana's senior men's basketball team during their tour of Suriname.
Guyana will
continue its preparations for the upcoming regional campaign when they host Grenada in a three-match friendly basketball series beginningtonightattheCliff Anderson Sports Hall
Theopeninggameofthe series is set to tip off at 6:30 pm, with the two sides scheduled to play back-toback matches over the next three days as part of their build-up to the FIBA Men's Caribbean Championship, which is slated for July
According to Michael
Singh, the series is an important part of Guyana's preparation plan as the Guyana Basketball Federation continues to investinthedevelopmentof the national programme
The GBF president explainedthatthefederation sees the series as a critical opportunityforthecoaching staff to assess players and strengthen team chemistry ahead of the regional c h a m p i o n s h i p
“Thisseriesispartofour continued investment in the national programme. It is important for us as we look
to build a formidable roster f
These games give our playersvaluablecompetitive exposure and help the coaching staff fine-tune the team, ” Singh said
National head coach Adrian Hooper, along with assistant coach Marlon Rodrigues, has assembled what they believe is a balanced squad capable of taking on Grenada and setting the tone for the upcoming international a s s i g n m e n t s
The squad selected for the series includes Shamar Huntley, Zian Gray, Travis Belgrave, Nikkoloi Smith, Kimmol Grimmond, Dominic Vincente, Domitri Rankin, Jeevon Ross, Akil Hughes, Shelroy Thomas, Brandon Bento and Michael T u r n e r Hooper's unit will be aimingtobuildcohesionand improve execution on both ends of the court as they continue their preparation fortheregionalcompetition.
The series against Grenada marks Guyana's second international engagement of the year
Earlier in the season, the national side travelled to Suriname, where they competedintheNationsCup against the host nation and F r e n c h G u i a n a Those matches, the GBF said, provided valuable game time for several players, and the technical staff will be hoping that the lessons learned from that outing will translate into stronger p
Frompage27
the first two rounds, and drawingwiththeformidable Zhang. He has secured his besttournamentresultsyet.
Clement scored an impressive 3.5 points after four rounds of play Her bid for a perfect score was only halted by a strategic draw againstWCM Sasha Shariff during theirfourth-round encounter, leaving Clement atthetopoftheleaderboard heading into the final four rounds this weekend. In second place is WCM Jessica Callender on 3 points.
Heronlysetbackthusfar came in the second round, where she lost to Shariff after a hard-fought 3-hour battle.
In third place is the current National U14 and U16 Girls Champion Kataleya Sam. Sam played unbeaten throughout the weekend, securing back-tobackvictorieswithtwowins in the first two rounds against Emma John and AnayaLall,followedbytwo hard-fought draws in the third and fourth rounds
against Treskole Archibald andShariff.
Maintaining their pursuit of the top spots, Shariff, Archibald, and Parnita Kishun each concludedtheweekendwith a solid 3 points. Through a series of resilient wins and strategic draws, the trio currently occupies the fourth, fifth, and sixth positions,respectively
Their consistent play across the opening rounds set the stage for a highstakes battle as the tournament moves into its finalfourrounds.
Holding steady in the seventhandeighthpositions are Italy Ton-Chung, and Anaya Lall, each finishing the weekend with a respectable 2 5 points Roundingoffthetoptenfor the Women's category are Chelsea Harrison and Amaya Sharma, occupying theninthandtenthpositions respectively, finishing with 2pointseach.
The final four rounds of the qualifiers will continue on March 7th and 8th at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall
from 9:00am. The top nine finishersfromeachcategory will earn a stake to participate in the National Open Chess Championship and Women's Chess Championship 2026, set to beginonMarch14th,2026.
The GCF expresses thanks to Diamond Fire and General Insurance for their steadfast support of women's chess over the years The company has been the proud sponsor of theNationalWomen'sChess Q u a l i f i e r s a n d Championships for several years Thanks to the N a t i o n a l S p o r t s Commission for the use of the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. The top four boards of the Women's Category are being live-streamed on lichess.org by John Lee, FIDEArbiter and Technical Director for the GCF Results and pairings can be viewed on chessresults.com. Visit guyanachess.gy to learn more about the GCF and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
As part of its continued dedication to advancing women in football, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) in collaboration with the Rupununi Football
Association (RFA), successfully conducted a FemaleIntroductoryReferee and Coaches' Programme in Lethem from February 20th–22nd,2026.Thethreeday initiative aimed to
strengthen female participation in football by equipping women in the region with foundational knowledge and practical skills in both refereeing and coaching.
Referees'Programme
T
e
mme provid
g
d p a r t i c i p a n t s w i t h foundationalknowledgeand practical training in football officiating, with particular emphasis on understanding andapplyingtheLawsofthe
Game. Sessions combined classroom-based theoretical instruction with practical field exercises, allowing participants to develop confidence and competence inmatchofficiating.
The programme was facilitated by Ms. Natasha Lewis, MA Technical Instructor, and Mr Abdulla Hamid,TechnicalInstructor
A total of 14 participants successfully completed the refereeing component, enhancingthepooloftrained female match officials withintheRupununiregion. Coaches'Programme
Thecoachingcomponent focused on empowering w o m e n t h r o u g h foundational skill-building, confidence development, and professional growth
Participantswereintroduced to the fundamental principles of football coaching, with emphasis placed on self-awareness,
Participants and instructors engage in a drill during the GFF and the Rupununi Football Association Introductory Referee and Coaches' Programme in Lethem.
goal setting, and effective communication as essential tools for leadership and athletedevelopment.
The programme also sought to encourage the emergence of female leadership in football and to build a supportive network of aspiring women coaches withintheregion.
Topics covered during the coaching sessions included:
Overview of the Guyana FootballFederation
PlayintheannualHamiltonGreenCup nine-a-sideInter-WardFootballcompetition continues this evening at the Plaisance GroundontheEastCoastofDemerara.
Tonight'sactionfollowseightpulsating encounters on opening night last Sunday, with West Side Alliance, Beavers, Zeelugt, No.1 All Stars, Plaisance, Victoria and Buxton Stars all advancing to the second roundofthestraightknockouttournament.
Organisers did announce that matches originally scheduled for Wednesday, March 4, had been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances and will now be played tonightatthesamevenue.
Friday fixtures will see Black Pearl open against Espanyol at 6:00pm. That will be followed by Pouderoyen facing Young Warriorsat6:30pm,LiliendaalplayUGfrom 7:00pm, Mahaica tackle Wash Bay Boys at 7:30pm.
ThatcontestwillbefollowedbyMocha versus Soesdyke at 8:00pm, Ann's Grove thenchallengePouderoyen'B'from8:30pm, Beterverwagting battle Team Order & Discipline at 9:00pm and the nightcap pits MalanieagainstHarmonieat9:30pm.
The tournament is made possible through the collective support of several prominent corporate sponsors, including Ricks and Sari Enterprise, Kings Liquor Store,ToolsiePersaudLtd,GMINVentures, BustaSoftDrink,NewThrivingRestaurant, Gafoors,JohnFernandesLtd,PegasusHotel, ENet, Cummings Electrical Company Ltd, Stars Rental, China Trading, Aurora, Dr Linden Dodson, Dr Michael Sue, Patrick “Labba”Barton,RonaldoAlphonso,Correia and Correia, and the Office of the CommissionerofPolice.
Frompage26
removedthewicketkeeper-batter11shortof hiscentury Kishan fell to Adil Rashid, prompting IndiatopromoteDubetonumberfourandhe smashed 43, including four sixes, before a mix-up with Hardik Pandya ended his innings.Pandya lit up the closing overs alongside Tilak Varma as England fast bowler Jofra Archer endured the costliest T20 international spell of his career, conceding61runs.EnglandlostPhilSaltand Brook inside the powerplay, the latter to a superb catch fromAxar Patel at deep coverpoint.Jos Buttler (25) produced his best innings of the tournament before Varun Chakravarthydismissedhimwithagoogly Bethell, however, kept England alive with105off48balls,strikingeightfoursand
sevensixes.
"Bethell was absolutely unbelievable, he'll earn some serious money To see him taking it from ball one, showed the world whathecando,"Brooksaid.
He received support from Jacks before Pateldismissedthelatterwithasuperbcatch, relaying the ball to Shivam Dube as he crossedtherope.
Indiaheldtheirnerveintheclosingovers, withJaspritBumrahcontrollingtherunflow throughpinpointyorkers.
ArcherhitlatesixesbutEnglandfinished on246,fallingjustshortofwhatcouldhave beenarecordchaseatthevenue.
Scores: India 253 for 7 (Samson 89, Dube43,Jacks2-40)beatEngland246for7 (Bethell 105, Jacks 35, Pandya 2-38) by sevenruns.
Female in Football –SomePeculiarities
PreparingandDelivering an Effective Coaching SessionPlan
The coaching sessions were facilitated by Mr Lyndon France and Ms Rhesa Pompey, with 12 participants completing the programme.
The initiative forms part
of the Guyana Football F
commitment to expanding opportunities for women in footballacrossallregionsof Guyana.
By providing accessible training in officiating and coaching, the programme aims to increase female representation in key technical roles and support
the continued development ofthesportatthegrassroots level.
The GFF expressed appreciationtotheRupununi FootballAssociation and all fa
collaboration in delivering the p
nd supporting the advancement of women's football in the region.
Slingerz Football Club andtheGuyanaPoliceForce FC will clash in what promises to be a thrilling finale of the GFF Elite League Cup tomorrow evening at the National Training Centre, after both sides battled through tense semi-finalencounters.
Part of the action between GDF FC and GPF FC in the semis of the GFF Elite League Cup.
The stage was set on WednesdaynightasSlingerz FC produced a strong comeback performance to defeatWesternTigers 3–1 in theopeningsemi-final,while Police FC edged their disciplinary rivals, the Guyana Defence Force FC, to book their place in the championshipmatch.
However, the Tigers looked poised to repeat their success when Stephon Reynolds struck early, firing his side into the lead in the 13thminute.
Slingerz entered the contest with added motivation, keen to avenge their narrow 1–0 defeat to WesternTigersFootballClub in the Super 16 Cup final on NewYear'sDay
The defending Elite League champions regroupedquicklyandfound their equaliser midway through the first half Jamaican striker Kemar Beckford finished clinically in the 26th minute to restore
e momentum in favour of Slingerz.
With the match finely balanced, defender Lloyd Matthews rose to the occasion in the second half, puttingSlingerzaheadinthe 61stminutewithawell-taken goal that further energized histeammates.
Western Tigers pressed forward in search of a response,butSlingerzsealed the victory deep in stoppage timewhenBeckfordreturned to complete his brace in the 94th minute, securing a 3–1 triumphandsendinghisside intothefinal.
In the other semi-final, the clash between the disciplinary forces lived up
toitsbillingasGuyanaPolice Force FC and Guyana DefenceForceFCbattledfor supremacy Police FC struck first through Makayah Jervis, who broke the deadlock in the 38th minute to give the lawmen the advantage headingintothebreak.
The soldiers responded with increased urgency after the restart, but Police maintained their composure and doubled their lead in the 65th minute when Beveney McGarrell found the back of thenetfromthepenaltyspot, ensuring a hard-fought victory and a place in the final The upcoming showdownwillmarkthefirst time Slingerz FC and Police
Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks put on a stand of 77 off 39 balls. (Prakash Singh/AFP/ Getty Images)
FC meet in a final, adding further intrigue to what is already shaping up to be a historicencounter
For Slingerz, the match represents an opportunity to claim their first trophy of 2026 and continue their strong domestic run as defending Elite League champions.
Meanwhile,thestakesare evenhigherforthemenfrom Eve Leary, who have been without silverware in the leagueforyears.
Police FC's last notable wincamein2018whenthey captured the Limacol Championships, defeating Pouderoyen Football Club 4–2 at the Ministry of EducationGround.
MUMBAI, (Reuters) - Defending championsIndiastavedoffJacobBethell's brillianthundredtobeatEnglandbyseven runs in a thrilling Twenty20 World Cup semi-finalonThursday India face New Zealand in Sunday's final inAhmedabad as they aim to secure an unprecedented second straight T20 World Cup crown.Put in to bat, India racked up an imposing 253-7 as Sanju Samson struck a commanding 89, supported by fluent contributions from ShivamDubeandIshanKishan.England's chase was kept alive almost single-handedly by Bethell, whose counter-attacking 105 off 48 balls threatened to overhaul the target, but
despitealatepushfromWillJackstheyfinished on246."It'snoteasy Youfindformatthecrucial games for your country So I thought it's a big game, so I need to make the most of how I'm batting,"Samsonsaid.
"We knew no score is stoppable, wanted as much as possible. England came close, played reallywell."Indiamadeabriskstartdespitethe earlylossofAbhishekSharmafornine.Samson, freshfromhisunbeaten97againstWestIndies, tookonEngland'sattackwithconfidence. He was handed a reprieve on 15 when captain Harry Brook dropped a simple catch in thethirdover,andhemadeEnglandpay,adding 97withKishanasIndiaracedto100in8.3overs. England to off-spinner Will Jacks who (Continuedonpage25)
The Caribbean Football Union (CFU), through its Referees Committee and Secretariat,incollaborationwiththeGuyana Football Federation (GFF), will host the “GivetoGain”CourseforCaribbeanWomen Referees from March 6th – 8th, 2026 at the National Stadium. The three-day capacitybuilding initiative is designed to empower, educate, and elevate female match officials across the Caribbean, bringing together referees on the FIFA International List alongside emerging officials from the host nation.
Introducedin2025,theprogrammeseeks to strengthen female match officials' technical competence, professional identity and support networks, while positioning them for greater regional and international appointments Over the three days, participants will engage in a blend of theoretical instruction, physical training, personal development, and leadership activities aimed at enhancing both on-field performanceandoff-fieldinfluence.
The course will cover core refereeing competenciesincludingthelawsofthegame, positioning, match management, and the psychologyofofficiating.Sessionswillalso hone in on communication, leadership, branding, mentorship, wellness, and empowerment.“Give to Gain” builds on the success of the “Accelerate Action –Caribbean Match Officials Course” hosted by the CFU in March 2025 in Antigua and BarbudainpartnershipwiththeAntiguaand BarbudaFootballAssociation(ABFA),with support from FIFA, Concacaf, and UN Women MCO–Caribbean. That landmark initiative brought together 26 female match officialsfromacrosstheregionforelite-level technicaltrainingandpersonaldevelopment activities, including panel discussions, wellness sessions, workshops on professionalism and branding, and recognitionofinternationalappointees.
WayneForde,PresidentoftheGFFsaid, “This programme is about more than refereeing, it's about empowering women to
Several local and regional women football referees will be part of the course.
lead, excel, and make their mark on Caribbean football. Th Guyana Football Federationisproudtosupportinitiativesthat opendoorsandbuildconfidenceforthenext generationoffemalematchofficials."
Atotalof30participants,11ofwhichare officials representing Guyana, will take part in the three-day event, guided by instructional teams led by Amara FelixToussaint from Trinidad and Tobago; Kelesha Antoine and Mickel BrannaChallenger from Antigua and Barbuda; Diane Ferreira-James from the Bahamas; Rohan Thobourne from Jamaica; and Natasha Lewis and Lenval Peart from Guyana, alongside facilitators from other countries.
The course which coincides with International Women's Day on March 8, specifically targets women on the FIFA International Refereeing List as well as promising emerging referees from the host country Byaddressingchallengesuniqueto female officials and celebrating the achievements of Caribbean pioneers in officiating, the initiative aims to elevate
representation, and foster unity and collegialityamongwomeninrefereeing.
Long time corporate partner of the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF), Fitness Express (FE) is back on board with sponsorship towards the Federation's 2026 Novice and Junior championship set for this Sunday at Saint Stanislaus.
On Thursday, Manager of Fitness Express, Jamie Mc Donald welcomed recently elected GAPLF President Franklin Wilson to the entity's Sheriff and John Street, Campbellville location which he expressed delight with Wilson being back at the helm.
“I am happy to see this n e w t e a m a t t h e administrative helm of the sport and I am confident that you guys will do well. Fitness Express is very elated to be supporting powerlifting.Weknowthat your team will further advance the sport in a positivewayandwewillbe theretopartnerandsupport you.”
Wilson took the opportunity to brief McDonaldontheplansthat the new executive has in store for the sport which include ensuring that travelling national teams are fully taken care of by the federation moving away from the past where athleteswouldhavetogoin searchofsponsorship.
“Wewillalsobehaving
more deliberate athlete's interaction as they are the main reason for us being here as administrators, decentralizationofthesport, improving the referees pool as well as appointment of a national coach whilst also pursuingtrainingtoincrease the coaches pool are all on our agenda including constitutionalreform.”
McDonald wished the Federation every success whilst reiterating his company's continued
support.
Wilson took the opportunity to express profound gratitude to McDonald and Fitness Express for their continued investment in the sport spanning four different presidents since the sport wasresuscitatedunderPeter Green.
This Sunday's Novice and Junior Championship is set for Saint Stanislaus Collegewiththefirstliftset for09:00hrs.
After four rounds of intense battle over the chessboard, Keron Sandiford and Ciel Clement lead
the National Open Chess Championship Qualifiers and Diamond Fire-sponsored Women's Chess Championship Qualifiers, respectively The tourneys, hosted by the Guyana Chess Federation, got underway last Saturday, February 28, 2026, at the Cliff AndersonSportsHall.
IntheOpencategory,Sandiford tooktheleadwithanunbeatenfour pointswithhismostnotablevictory over the weekend against FM Anthony Drayton in the third round. The mostly drawn match between the two dynamic players sawashiftingoftheadvantageever so slightly between each player
However, the game took a turn when Sandiford forced his passed pawn for promotion, causing Drayton to turn his attention towards striking Sandiford's king. However, in the end, Drayton was unabletostoptheadvancingpawn.
Current Junior Champion Kyle Couchman is in second place with 3.5 points. Couchman also played unbeaten for the weekend, recording a draw in the fourth round against U16 Open Champion, CM Sachin Pitamber Pitamber,alsoon3.5points,sitsin thirdduetothetie-breakersystem. Pitamber also maintained his unbeaten streak through the weekend, concluding the fourth round with a hard-fought draw againstCouchman.
Drayton, Jaden Taylor, and Joshua Gopaul all concluded the weekend with three points each, occupying the fourth through sixth positions,respectively,onthetable. This cluster of players remains
Scene from the Open and Women's QUALIFIERS 2026.
within striking distance of the leaders as they head into the final fourroundsnextweekend. Roberto Neto, Alexander Zhang, Rashad Hussian, and KishanPuranallfinishedwithinthe
top ten with 2.5 points apiece. Notably, Puran appears to have found his stride in this tournament by defeating veteran players, CM Greenidge and GilbertWilliams in (Continuedonpage24)
